Abstract

On September 20, 2017 Hurricane María made landfall on the archipelago of Puerto Rico, causing one of the most devastating hurricane-related humanitarian crises since 1928, bringing to light the accelerated impact of climate change in Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean region. This thesis explores how the work of contemporary Puerto Rican artists Lionel Cruet and Frances Gallardo addresses hurricanes, climate, and the environment in Puerto Rico, while pointing to the interconnected forces of colonialism and capitalism. The destruction caused by Hurricane María is approached through Puerto Rico’s relationship with the United States, and analyzed from a decolonial perspective that is rooted in critical Caribbean studies. This thesis also draws on ecocritical and Anthropocene-related art historical scholarship, to position the critical art practices of Cruet and Gallardo in relation to the climatological, economic and socially-devastating bonds that tie Puerto Rico to the United States.