Crocker Art Museum

Crocker Art Museum</a> is pleased to announce Frames of Mind: The Ramer Photography Collection, on view from November 10, 2024 – May 5, 2025. The exhibition celebrates the recent gift of 68 photographs from the Davis couple, whose collection is united by an engagement with the human condition and a concern for social equity. This donation marks the 50th anniversary of the Ramers’ journey in collecting photography.&nbsp;</p><p>Frames of Mind explores the shared experiences that connect people across different cultures, regions, and time periods. Whether focused on human subjects, streetscapes, or landscapes, the photographs encourage viewers to slow down and view the world—and one another—with greater empathy and understanding.&nbsp;</p><p>The exhibition includes photographs by acclaimed Harlem Renaissance <a target="_blank" href=https://www.mutualart.com/Organization/Crocker-Art-Museum/"/Artist/James-van-der-Zee/57EE6DF3E34597FF">photographer James Van Der Zee</a>, whose images capture the vibrant and growing African American middle class in Harlem, New York in the 1920s and 1930s. Van Der Zee’s work is presented alongside that of other artists from the 1930s, including Japanese architect <a target="_blank" href=https://www.mutualart.com/Organization/Crocker-Art-Museum/"/Artist/Iwao-Yamawaki/8EF3C7D489EA8924">Iwao Yamawaki</a>, who moved to Germany to study at the Bauhaus and there embraced architectural photography, as well as American <a target="_blank" href=https://www.mutualart.com/Organization/Crocker-Art-Museum/"/Artist/Lewis-Hine/48DE44BC5033C8AA">photographers Lewis Hine</a> and <a target="_blank" href=https://www.mutualart.com/Organization/Crocker-Art-Museum/"/Artist/Walker-Evans/87E674D8C2CC7288">Walker Evans</a>, both employed by initiatives connected to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal during the Great Depression.&nbsp;</p><p>Socially conscious photographs of post-war Europe feature prominently in the exhibition. German-born British <a target="_blank" href=https://www.mutualart.com/Organization/Crocker-Art-Museum/"/Artist/Dorothy-Bohm/36F5832845B4FBC9">photographer Dorothy Bohm</a>, who received a Leica camera from her father as she boarded a train to flee from the Nazis, focused her lens on the everyday people of Europe during and after the war. Similarly, British <a target="_blank" href=https://www.mutualart.com/Organization/Crocker-Art-Museum/"/Artist/Shirley-Baker/05E960AE74DBF270">photographer Shirley Baker</a>'s sympathetic images of working-class children playing in the blighted streets of Manchester and Salford in the 1960s and 1970s reveal how wonder and joy can persist during times of hardship. The Ramers' gift also includes many photographs taken in the former Czechoslovak Socialist Republic while the country was still under communist rule, as well as works by significant women photographers and contemporary California artists.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Exhibition Curator Francesca Wilmott, PhD, explains, “As a renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Barry Ramer developed a sensitive eye for imagery that delves into the human psyche and leaves a lasting impression. The Ramers’ collecting interests are not limited to celebrated photographers. They are also captivated by the work of lesser-known artists whose unique way of seeing the world resonates with them personally.”&nbsp;</p><p><br></p>" />

de la Torre Brothers</a> 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.&nbsp;</p><p>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.&nbsp;</p><p>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.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p>" />