Ruptura Emulsiva (Broken Emulsion)
Lab. Curatorial Mora’o, San Juan, 2025

Deterioration is taken to an extreme in Ruptura Emulsiva (Broken Emulsion). For this series, Daniel Pabón Velázquez places emphasis on the chemical degradation of film photography, with greens and reds that overpower each depiction.

With each degradation, Pabón Velázquez reflects on Puerto Rico’s institutional failure to secure and conserve its archival patrimony. And as climate catastrophes worsen, damage overcomes memory.

Text by Cleo León Ricart

Painting with pink, red, yellow, and cream colors, blending together with textured strokes.

Boquerón, c. 1978
Oil and beeswax on canvas
48” x 60”

Painting with green, yellow, brown, and red hues with textured brush strokes.

Corozal, c. 1966
Oil and beeswax on canvas
17” x 17”

Painting with shades of red, pink, black, white, and yellow, featuring textured and layered brushstrokes.

Luquillo, Enero 1996
Oil and beeswax on canvas
34” x 28”

Painting with green, yellow, brown, and red hues with textured brush strokes.

La Palma, Cabo Rojo, c. 1967
Oil and beeswax on canvas
32” x 28”

A painting with dominant shades of green, black, and hints of brown and yellow with a portrait of a woman at its center.

Cuarto, Bayamón, c. 1989
Oil and beeswax on canvas
22” x 20”

A painting with dominant shades of green, black, and hints of brown and yellow with a portrait of a woman at its center.

Tití, Río Piedras, diciembre 1969
Oil and beeswax on canvas
24” x 20”