Right now in Queens, New York, massive sculptures made from detritus of the sea have alit, standing tall and colorful like characters from mythology, imbued with some sort of sacred power. They are the work of sculptor Daniel Lind-Ramos, on view as part of his solo exhibition “El Viejo Griot—Una historia de todos nosotros” at MoMA PS1.

Lind-Ramos was born in Loíza, Puerto Rico, in 1953, and his hulking yet elegant sculptural assemblages are made from salvaged objects, some literally washed ashore, and others gifted or sourced from members of his community...