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CATEGORIES:Exhibitions
DESCRIPTION:Synthesis & Subversion Redux is an exhibition celebrating the l
 egacy of Dr. Frances Colpitt and an evolving conversation around Latinx art
  in Texas\, curated by Elyse A. Gonzales and Mia Lopez. It was originally p
 resented at Ruby City in San Antonio (February-September 2025) and features
  the work of five artists based in the city. The exhibition revisits Colpit
 t’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-subv
 ersion-redux/ \n\n \n\n \n\nExhibition Narrative: In 1996\, Dr. Colpitt bro
 ught together a group of San Antonio-based artists—Jesse Amado\, David Padi
 lla Cabrera\, Alejandro Diaz\, Franco Mondini-Ruiz\, Ana de Portela\, and C
 huck 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 debat
 e\, 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 maj
 or institutions\, Ruby City Director\, Elyse A. Gonzales\, and Curator of L
 atinx Art at the McNay Art Museum\, Mia Lopez\,  Redux showcases the work o
 f five contemporary artists. These artists bring fresh perspectives to them
 es of identity\, memory\, and culture\, often through craft-informed practi
 ces that incorporate textiles\, personal history\, and connections to the U
 .S.-Mexico border. \n\n \n\nIn her original exhibition\, Colpitt explored h
 ow Latinx artists could synthesize personal and cultural experiences with c
 onceptual art practices. The artists featured in Redux honor this foundatio
 n while addressing contemporary issues like gender\, migration\, and bicult
 ural identity. Their works embody hybridity and intersectionality\, using m
 aterials such as textiles and clothing to weave together stories of resilie
 nce\, family\, and heritage.\n\n \n\nThis new iteration also reflects a sig
 nificant societal shift. In the 1990s\, the art world often overlooked arti
 sts working outside mainstream contemporary discourse. Today\, these histor
 ically marginalized practices are embraced as central to the broader narrat
 ive of contemporary art\, celebrated for their ability to challenge convent
 ions\, elevate diverse voices\, and offer fresh perspectives on identity an
 d cultural heritage.\n\n \n\nArtist Bios\n\n \n\nJuan Carlos Escobedo (b. 1
 985 El Paso\, TX\; lives San Antonio\, TX) uses cardboard to create fantast
 ical clothing items that feature intricate architectural renderings of home
 s and landscapes. His work addresses his experience of race and class on th
 e border and throughout the United States\, using cheap\, ephemeral materia
 l as a conduit for larger considerations of socioeconomic discrimination an
 d prejudice. \n\n \n\nJenelle Esparza (b. 1985 Corpus Christi\, TX\; lives 
 San Antonio\, TX) began her artistic career as a photographer\, using her c
 amera to capture landscapes and environments throughout South Texas. As she
  documented cotton fields where her family has historically labored\, she s
 oon began a conceptual investigation of cotton as material. Using textiles\
 , found objects\, and her family’s history and memories she explores the le
 gacies and traumas of agricultural labor. \n\n \n\nBárbara Miñarro (b. 1994
 \, Monterrey\, Mexico\; lives Austin\, TX) reflects on migration and the co
 mplexities of the United States-Mexico border through her soft sculptures a
 nd installations. Miñarro incorporates clothing worn by herself and other i
 mmigrants into her works\, imbuing each object with tactile memories and pe
 rsonal journeys. \n\n \n\nAngeles 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 nostalgi
 c and critical\, Salinas investigates her own notions of femininity and fam
 ily alongside those of contemporary society. Using garments\, personal ephe
 mera\, and textile elements\, she dismantles and complicates stereotypes re
 lated to women\, motherhood\, and immigration. \n\n \n\nJosé Villalobos (b.
  1988\, El Paso\, TX\; lives San Antonio\, TX) confronts machismo and homop
 hobia in performance\, installation\, and multimedia works. He embraces cul
 tural practices and symbolism often associated with masculinity—cowboy boot
 s and hats alongside machinery\, tools\, and trucks—and skews their meaning
 . He recalls his own lived traumas through corporal performance and activat
 ions\, contending with violence and resilience. \n\n \n\n \n\nThe impact of
  the late art historian and curator Dr. Frances Colpitt (1952-2022)\n\n \n\
 nDr. Colpitt received a full professorship at the University of Texas at Sa
 n Antonio where she taught from 1990 - 2005. She then accepted the Deedie P
 otter Rose Chair\, an endowed professorship in contemporary art history\, a
 t Texas Christian University in Fort Worth where she continued to teach unt
 il her death in 2022. \n\n \n\nIn the fall of 2024 the Art Galleries at TCU
  presented Do you really believe that?\, a group exhibition at Fort Worth C
 ontemporary Arts. Do you really believe that? was conceived in honor and ce
 lebration of Dr. Colpitt\, her renowned scholarship\, critical pedagogy and
  unyielding commitment to teaching along with her profound respect for arti
 sts\, their work\, and critics alike. The title of the exhibition is a phra
 se Dr. Colpitt often used to challenge her students and galvanize critical 
 thinking and discussion in class. \n\n \n\nWhen 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 & Subvers
 ion Redux was presented as a companion exhibition.
DTSTAMP:20260420T215953Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260306
GEO:32.707041;-97.357902
LOCATION:Fort Worth Contemporary Arts Gallery
SEQUENCE:0
SUMMARY:Synthesis & Subversion Redux
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_51833852223032
URL:https://calendar.tcu.edu/event/synthesis-subversion-redux
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