To Whom It May Concern:

War Notes

Rubin Gallery
September 8 - December 10, 2005

Though Ramirez has addressed political, social, economic and aesthetic boundaries for years, this is the first time his art has been exhibited in Texas. In his recent work, the artist applies first-hand experience of the polarities that characterize communities to more general and philosophical comments about political injustice and cultural miss-communication on a global scale. The four pieces that comprise his exhibition in the Rubin Center are about war-just one possible result of misunderstanding and disagreement between cultures. By employing art to condemn inhumane acts of war and violence, Ramirez is part of a distinguished lineage of artists such as Jaques Louis David, Francisco Jose de Goya and Pablo Picasso, who share compassion for the politically oppressed and the compulsion to create imagery that exposes subjugation. Ramirez is in the privileged position of being both an outsider (as a citizen of Mexico) and an insider (since he spends almost as much time in the U.S. as he does in his home country). From his position-and in the age of globalization- Ramirez is critical of U.S. activities abroad, not just in the border region; disdain for what he sees as the abuse of power is poignantly expressed in his work.