Synthesis & Subversion Redux is an exhibition celebrating the legacy of Dr. Frances Colpitt and an evolving conversation around Latinx art in Texas, curated by Elyse A. Gonzales and Mia Lopez. It was originally presented at Ruby City in San Antonio (February-September 2025) and features the work of five artists based in the city. The exhibition revisits Colpitt’s groundbreaking 1996 show, Synthesis and Subversion: A Latino Direction in San Antonio Art, and its influence on contemporary art practices today. Images of the artists’ work can be found in a gallery guide here (scroll to the bottom of the page): https://rubycity.org/exhibitions/synthesis-subversion-redux/

Exhibition Narrative: In 1996, Dr. Colpitt brought together a group of San Antonio-based artists—Jesse Amado, David Padilla Cabrera, Alejandro Diaz, Franco Mondini-Ruiz, Ana de Portela, and Chuck Ramirez—who explored identity, abstraction, and the everyday through conceptual approaches. The exhibition, Synthesis and Subversion: A Latino Direction in San Antonio Art, challenged norms and sparked critical debate, becoming a pivotal moment in city’s art history. Now, 30 years later, Redux builds on Colpitt’s vision while reflecting the profound changes in the art world since then. Curated by two Latinas in leadership roles at major institutions, Ruby City Director, Elyse A. Gonzales, and Curator of Latinx Art at the McNay Art Museum, Mia Lopez,  Redux showcases the work of five contemporary artists. These artists bring fresh perspectives to themes of identity, memory, and culture, often through craft-informed practices that incorporate textiles, personal history, and connections to the U.S.-Mexico border.

In her original exhibition, Colpitt explored how Latinx artists could synthesize personal and cultural experiences with conceptual art practices. The artists featured in Redux honor this foundation while addressing contemporary issues like gender, migration, and bicultural identity. Their works embody hybridity and intersectionality, using materials such as textiles and clothing to weave together stories of resilience, family, and heritage.

This new iteration also reflects a significant societal shift. In the 1990s, the art world often overlooked artists working outside mainstream contemporary discourse. Today, these historically marginalized practices are embraced as central to the broader narrative of contemporary art, celebrated for their ability to challenge conventions, elevate diverse voices, and offer fresh perspectives on identity and cultural heritage.

Artist Bios

Juan Carlos Escobedo (b. 1985 El Paso, TX; lives San Antonio, TX) uses cardboard to create fantastical clothing items that feature intricate architectural renderings of homes and landscapes. His work addresses his experience of race and class on the border and throughout the United States, using cheap, ephemeral material as a conduit for larger considerations of socioeconomic discrimination and prejudice.

Jenelle Esparza (b. 1985 Corpus Christi, TX; lives San Antonio, TX) began her artistic career as a photographer, using her camera to capture landscapes and environments throughout South Texas. As she documented cotton fields where her family has historically labored, she soon began a conceptual investigation of cotton as material. Using textiles, found objects, and her family’s history and memories she explores the legacies and traumas of agricultural labor.

Bárbara Miñarro (b. 1994, Monterrey, Mexico; lives Austin, TX) reflects on migration and the complexities of the United States-Mexico border through her soft sculptures and installations. Miñarro incorporates clothing worn by herself and other immigrants into her works, imbuing each object with tactile memories and personal journeys.

Angeles Salinas (b. 1972, Mexico City, Mexico; lives San Antonio, TX) deconstructs gender and cultural identity through installations, sculptures, and paintings. In works that are both nostalgic and critical, Salinas investigates her own notions of femininity and family alongside those of contemporary society. Using garments, personal ephemera, and textile elements, she dismantles and complicates stereotypes related to women, motherhood, and immigration.

José Villalobos (b. 1988, El Paso, TX; lives San Antonio, TX) confronts machismo and homophobia in performance, installation, and multimedia works. He embraces cultural practices and symbolism often associated with masculinity—cowboy boots and hats alongside machinery, tools, and trucks—and skews their meaning. He recalls his own lived traumas through corporal performance and activations, contending with violence and resilience.

The impact of the late art historian and curator Dr. Frances Colpitt (1952-2022)

Dr. Colpitt received a full professorship at the University of Texas at San Antonio where she taught from 1990 - 2005. She then accepted the Deedie Potter Rose Chair, an endowed professorship in contemporary art history, at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth where she continued to teach until her death in 2022.

In the fall of 2024 the Art Galleries at TCU presented Do you really believe that?, a group exhibition at Fort Worth Contemporary Arts. Do you really believe that? was conceived in honor and celebration of Dr. Colpitt, her renowned scholarship, critical pedagogy and unyielding commitment to teaching along with her profound respect for artists, their work, and critics alike. The title of the exhibition is a phrase Dr. Colpitt often used to challenge her students and galvanize critical thinking and discussion in class.

When Do you really believe that? travelled to San Antonio for presentation at the Main Art Gallery, at the University of Texas at San Antonio, in January 2025, Synthesis & Subversion Redux was presented as a companion exhibition.