The De la Torre brothers blow glass and minds with a mashup of conquerors and conquered

Einar and Jamex De La Torre create work that challenges our conceptions of art, society, and sanctity. They draw upon the Mexican tradition of dark humor to bear witness to the social injustices that plague our culture. For the celebration of MACLA’s 20th anniversary, Einar and Jamex were commissioned to create an installation exploring the idea of re-conquest or La Reconquista. Immersed in a Catholic aesthetic, La Reconquista transports the viewer into a Mexican cathedral. They employ a self-described “ wonderful über kitsch angle” that comes off as “a little abrasive and in your face.” As you stand in front of the church’s main altar, you are surrounded on either side by its colorful stained glass windows, painted arches and wooden pews. A closer examination reveals that the cathedral is a re-presentation of traditional Catholic themes and subjects. In conventional cathedral architecture, the high (front) altar represents salvation through Jesus Christ. In this rendition Jesus is wearing the mask of the Mayan feathered serpent deity, Quetzalcoatl.

MACLA / Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana

MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana is an inclusive contemporary arts space grounded in the Chicano/Latino experience that incubates new visual, literary and performance art in order to engage people in civic dialogue and community transformation. More than 30,000 children, youth, young adults, families and community residents participate in the 50 programs MACLA produces each year in four core program tracts: Visual Arts, Performing & Literary Arts, Youth Arts Education and Community Arts Program.

Einar and Jamex De La Torre: La Reconquista
September 3 – October 24, 2009
MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, South 1st Street, San Jose, CA
MACLAArte.org