Martín Ramírez

Over the course of his life, Ramírez produced some 500 works characteristic for their clean yet brazen draftsmanship. The imagery is both suggestive and nostalgic, often reminiscent of his own life experiences. Mexican Madonnas, animals, cowboys, trains, and landscapes merge with scenes of American culture and create a profound documentation of a Mexican living and working in the United States. Compositionally, he renders space into multi-dimensional almost theatrical layouts using sharp geometric forms with strong linear qualities. The artist worked primarily in crayon and had a firm grasp of perspective and mark-making techniques consisting of rhythmic repetition and gentle shading. Later in his life, he began creating collage-type works, adding newspaper clippings and previous drawings for depth and texture.

Ramírez, a Mexican immigrant, worked in California’s mines and railroads until his 1931 arrest in a disoriented state. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, he was confined to Stockton State Hospital and later DeWitt State Hospital in Auburn, where he spent his remaining years. It was at DeWitt that he discovered art, creating intricate drawings and collages that define his legacy, most of which were produced during his confinement.

1. Untitled (Train and Tunnels), 1954
2. Untitled (Men Riding Donkeys) - Triptych, c. 1960-63
3. Untitled (Arches), c. 1960-63
4. Untitled (Brick Structure with Arches), c. 1960-63
5. Untitled (Abstraction with Arches), ca. 1960-63
6. Untitled (Frontal Caballero with Red Spurs), c. 1952-55
7. Untitled, (Female Rider on Purple Horse), c. 1952-55
8. Untitled (Triangle Landscape with Train), c. 1960-63
© Estate of Martín Ramírez, courtesy Ricco/Maresca Gallery.

Taken from OBRA 03, On Paper.