Einar and Jamex de la Torre, La Belle Epoch, 2001 blown glass, aluminum, resins, electric motors
Borderlandia: Cultural Topographies by Einar and Jamex de la Torre
Watch what the brothers had to say about this exhibition.
See the exhibition in a full 360 degree view courtesy of photographer Toni Garbasso.
During a particularly contentious time in the Southwest, Einar and Jamex de la Torre wryly, yet pertinently address the dialectic of cultural plurality, identity politics, popular culture, religion, and geopolitics. Their medium is one that is steeped in the European tradition of Italian glassblowing mixed with the vernacular of the utilitarian glassware of Mexico—beauty and functionality comingling like the hybrid structure of their message.
What makes their work so compelling on a formal level is the vibrancy of their forms, the explosive visual impact of their color combination, and the seductive nature of the shiny, slick surface of glass. Yet equally riveting in their beautifully expressive works is their message. At once humorous and confrontational, their satirical sculptures and installations expose stereotyping, historic revisionism, and a popular culture obsessed with consumerism. The work also celebrates the unique symbols and images of mestizaje (term for racial and cultural mixing) and the political ideology of modern national identity, unity, and social progress.
Major funding for this exhibition provided by:
Latin American Art Patrons of the Tucson Museum of Art
Joan Jacobson
Additional support provided by:
Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass
Cita Scott and Harry Goerge
Michael Hanson
Betsy and Frank Babb
Contemporary Art Society of the Tucson Museum of Art
Joyce Broan
Maryann Evans and Edwin Roos
Anne and Edward Lyman
M & I Wealth Management
Lodge on the Desert
Tucson Lifestyle Magazine
A portion of this exhibition originated at the Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
