Einar and Jamex de la Torre: Animexican
Koplin Del Rio Gallery
3521 Helms Ave (at National)
Culver City, CA. 90232
tel: 310-836-9055
opening: September 11th, 2010, 6-8pm
duration: September 11th- October 22nd, 2010
description:
Koplin Del Rio is pleased to present an exhibition of new blown glass and mixed media works by Einar and Jamex de la Torre.
The multiplicity of voices in the de la Torre brother’s work begins with their Mexican background, a combination of the Native Mexican, Spanish and Aztec ancestry, resulting in a rich Mestizo* hybrid. The artists also draw upon their time spent in the United States after immigrating as adolescents. This diverse upbringing lets them draw from multiple sources of inspiration as Mexican, American, and as literal border artists, living and working near San Diego, CA.
In honor of the Mexico’s Bicentennial taking place this year, the brothers’ newest body of work addresses current Mexican culture and politics. The series, titled Animexican, is an exploration of themes relating to Mexico’s diverse, and often diametrically opposed, current events. “Mexican political life is often lived in unexpected surreal planes, we boast the richest man in the world …this year Mexico celebrates its bicentennial with extravagant displays in face of growing popular discontent” explain the brothers. Animexican expresses the surreal layers with humor and satire that Einar and Jamex derive from such diverse influences as Jose Posada, television, the Vatican and the darling of modern comics, the huge eyed Anime characters.
This collaborative body of work consists of both freestanding pedestal and wall mounted pieces comprised of masterful blown glass elements, depicting various Mayan, Aztec and religious iconography. Juxtaposed with the historic icons are scores of trinkets and objects scoured from dollar stores around the world.
Einar and Jamex de la Torre were born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1960 and 1963, respectively. Einar and Jamex both studied at California State University at Long Beach and taught at the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. They have been awarded numerous prestigious grants including The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award and the Joan Mitchel Foundation Grant Award. The Brothers’ works are in numerous public and private collections and have been exhibited around the world at venues including The Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles, The Museum of Glass: International Center for Contemporary Art in Tacoma, WA, The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM, Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, San Jose, CA
-from website
more info…
http://www.koplindelrio.com/
full set of images on flickr…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandonshigeta/sets/72157624877655183/with/5011204038/
all images shot with a Canon EOS 5D MKII
