Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective

Fig. 2. Einar de la Torre (left) and Jamex de la Torre (right). Photo by Josue Castro.

Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective presents 42 mixed-media glass sculptures by brothers Jamex and Einar de la Torre [fig. 2]. First and foremost, the art of the de la Torre Brothers is a collaborative endeavor, and secondly, it is deeply hybrid in nature. Since the 1980s, the brothers have worked together, developing a distinctive style that playfully combines blown-glass sculpture, lenticular prints, and material culture from both sides of the California-Mexico border. They blend pre-Columbian imagery from the ancient Americas, Catholic symbols, and everyday objects to create vibrant, complex, and humorous works that reflect their immigrant experiences and bicultural identities. 

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1960 and 1963, respectively, Jamex and Einar moved to the United States in 1972. Growing up in California and experiencing life on both sides of the border profoundly impacted them. As Einar recalled, they faced culture shock when moving from “an all-boys Catholic school” in Mexico to the vibrant world of “hot pants and miniskirts” in Southern California. [1] Both studied art at California State University, Long Beach, where Jamex earned a BFA in Sculpture in 1983, while Einar chose not to pursue an art degree. Today, they split their time between Guadalupe Valley in Baja California, Mexico, and San Diego, California. 

The exhibition's title, Collidoscope, echoes the art and creative process of this artistic duo. As originating curator Selene Preciado explains, "Simply put, [the] made-up word ‘collidoscope’ alludes to the kaleidoscope-like quality of their works, particularly their mandalas and lenticulars, as well as the union of their artistic collective and the collision of imagery, themes, and references that are established as their artistic language." [2] True to the playful nature of the exhibition, the brothers incorporate wordplay and riddles into many of their titles, adding another creative dimension to their work. 

Fig. 3. Einar and Jamex de la Torre (born Guadalajara, Mexico, 1963 and 1960, respectively), Baja Kali, 1995. Blown-glass, lamp-worked glass, and mixed media sculpture, 87 x 45 x 17 in. Courtesy of Einar and Jamex de la Torre and Koplin Del Rio Gallery.

Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective presents four thematic sections inspired by the artists’ multifaceted artistic practice and experiences navigating the border. Artworks included in the section “Hybrid Dislocations,” for instance, speak to the brothers’ early experiences with culture clash- encounters between people from different cultural backgrounds that result in misunderstandings, which often stem from differences in communication styles, societal norms, and traditions. Their 2010 mixed-media sculpture Baja Kali [fig. 3] acts as a geographical and aesthetic border crosser. It fuses contemporary icons of Mexican and American culture: cars, ofrendas (domestic altars), and myriad everyday objects like sequins, signal lights, and shelves of bejeweled skulls resembling calaveras de azúcar (sugar skulls), traditionally crafted for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This blending of artistic categories and cultural symbols acts as a metaphor for how instances of culture clash can also open up opportunities for learning, growth, and mutual understanding. 

The brothers certainly don't shy away from exploring ugliness in form and content, frequently challenging the limits of what is deemed "good taste." In their co-written essay in the exhibition catalog, the brothers refer to themselves as “anti-establishment aestheticians” and explain that they “seek the beauty in the ugly and revel in the ugliness of the established standards of beauty.” [3] The hybridity of their mixed-media works exemplifies the Chicanx artistic practice known as Rasquache–a way of making with what is available, and finding humor, beauty, and artistic expression in the unconventional or humble. The brothers take an additive approach to their work, playfully blending materials and meanings to culminate in a multivalent and humorous aesthetic often described as "multi-layered baroque." Their influences are wide-ranging, spanning from religious iconography and German expressionism to Mexican folk art and pre-Columbian traditions–such as the Aztec calendar–as symbols of cultural pride, resilience, and resistance. 

Fig. 4. Einar and Jamex de la Torre (born Guadalajara, Mexico, 1963 and 1960, respectively), Frijolera Clásica, 2010. Blown-glass, mixed-media sculpture, 31 x 18 x 18 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Patricia Grant, 2021.87.1.

Fig. 5. Einar and Jamex de la Torre (born Guadalajara, Mexico, 1963 and 1960, respectively), La Reconquista, 2009. Archival lenticular print in LED lightbox, 50 x 114 x 5 in. Courtesy of Einar and Jamex de la Torre and Koplin Del Rio Gallery.

The section entitled “Histerical Vignettes” includes works that directly reference art history and historical accounts. For example, the sculpture Fijolera Clásica [fig. 4], created in 2010, takes its cue from ancient Greek glass vessel traditions and Mexican clay pots traditionally used to cook beans. Other works in this section incorporate lenticular prints– commonly used in toys and postcards–that appear three-dimensional and change when viewed from different angles. La Reconquista [fig. 5] from 2009 is a lenticular print that references Flemish artist Hans Memling’s triptych altarpiece The Last Judgement (circa 1467–1471). However, the brothers’ rendition reimagines this Catholic masterpiece as a religious “re-conquest.” In the central panel, Christ wears a mask of the Maya god Quetzalcoatl, as the righteous ascend a stairway toward “heaven,” portrayed with Bank of America’s signage.  

Fig. 6. Einar and Jamex de la Torre (born Guadalajara, Mexico, 1963 and 1960, respectively), Mitosis, 2008. Blown-glass, mixed-media art with resin castings, 48 x 48 x 9 in. Courtesy of Einar and Jamex de la Torre and Koplin Del Rio Gallery.

“Systems and Cycles” is a section that includes works examining bodies and systems, along with their complex relationships to the cosmos, nature, technology, and historical cycles. Key works from this section include mixed-media mandala forms, such as Mitosis from 2008 [fig. 6] and Trotsky’s Dream from 2010 [fig. 1]. Mandalas–geometric patterns symbolizing the universe in Hinduism and Buddhism–are typically circular, featuring intricate shapes radiating from a central point. These spiritual symbols are used in meditation, representing unity, balance, harmony, and a spiritual journey through inner and outer layers. In Mitosis, for example, an assemblage of symbols, ranging from a clock face to maple leaves, extends outwards from a centralized face of a god with a heart on his tongue. While mitosis is the biological process by which single cells divide to promote physical growth, this artwork evokes a more spiritual form of growth, suggesting a deeper transformation and evolution beyond the physical realm.  

Fig. 7. Einar and Jamex de la Torre (born Guadalajara, Mexico, 1963 and 1960, respectively), Trotsky's Dream , 2010. Blown-glass, mixed-media wall installation with resin castngs, 42 x 51 x 9 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Anna B. Francis, 2022.51.1.

Another section that incorporates the figure is “Retracollage,” a blending of the Spanish word retrato (portrait) and collage, which features a cast of imaginative hybrid creatures. For example, Yaki Transformer [fig. 7] is part deer, part transformer, and references the Yaqui people of the state of Sonora, Mexico, known for their ceremonial deer dance. This playful fusion of portraiture and collage showcases the artists’ knack for combining real events and people with popular culture and the supernatural. 

Einar and Jamex de la Torre’s mischievous embrace of glass, unexpected material combinations, and layered meanings is captivating. It’s no surprise that their impressive list of accolades includes the USA Artists Fellowship, the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, the Joan Mitchell Foundation Award, and the San Diego Art Prize. They’ve even appeared as guest judges on Netflix’s glass-blowing competition show, Blown Away. The Crocker Art Museum marks this exhibition’s fourth venue in a national five-stop tour. As curator Preciado writes in the introduction to the exhibition catalog, this Retro-Perspective offers viewers ample “opportunities to see differently.” [4] These new perspectives–whether through the lens of contemporary glass, borders, or those who cross them–broaden and challenge perceptions of cultural identity, offering new ways to see the world around us, particularly in the context of California's unique cultural landscape. 

Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective was made possible through a collaboration between the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum (“The Cheech”). Support for the national tour was generously provided by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino. 

Notes

[1] “Collidoscope: de la Torre Retro-Perspective,” National Museum of the American Latino, accessed October 7, 2024, https://latino.si.edu/exhibitions/collidoscope-de-la-torre-brothers. 

[2] Einar and Jamex de la Torre, “Manifestus,” in Collidoscope: De La Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective, exh. cat., ed. H. Vincent Moses and Catherine E. Whitmore (Riverside, CA: Riverside Art Museum, 2023), 26. 

[3] Selene Preciado, "Introduction," to in Collidoscope: De La Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective, exh. cat. ed. H. Vincent Moses and Catherine E. Whitmore (Riverside, CA: Riverside Art Museum, 2023), 11. 

[4] Preciado, Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective, 13.