Mandalas

Ruben Trejo, Mandalas, 1986-1990, welded iron railroad spikes, marble, iron sheet, lead, and wood, approx. overall: 122 346041 18 in. (311.8152.4104.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the estate of Ruben Trejo, 2013.37A-F, © 1990, Estate of Ruben Trejo. Photo by Matt Vielle, Hamilton Studio

Artwork Details

Title
Mandalas
Artist
Date
1986-1990
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
approx. overall: 122 346041 18 in. (311.8152.4104.5 cm)
Copyright
© 1990, Estate of Ruben Trejo. Photo by Matt Vielle, Hamilton Studio
Credit Line
Gift of the estate of Ruben Trejo
Mediums Description
welded iron railroad spikes, marble, iron sheet, lead, and wood
Classifications
Object Number
2013.37A-F

Artwork Description

In Mandalas, Trejo used railroad spikes, a material laden with meaning for the artist, whose father laid train tracks in the Midwest. Slightly bent and weathered to a rusty brown, each column of welded spikes evokes bodies caught in the midst of labor.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, 2013

Description in English

En Mandalas, Trejo usó clavos de ferrocarril, un material lleno de significado para el artista, cuyo padre instalaba rieles de tren en el Medio Oeste. Ligeramente doblados y oxidados, cada columna de clavos soldados evoca cuerpos en pleno trabajo.

Nuestra América: la presencia latina en el arte estadounidense, 2013

Works by this artist (8 items)

Beatrice S. Levy, The Beach, n.d., color aquatint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.188
The Beach
Daten.d.
color aquatint
Not on view
Beatrice S. Levy, The Derelict, 1914, color aquatint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.187
The Derelict
Date1914
color aquatint on paper
Not on view
Beatrice S. Levy, In Orchestra Hall, n.d., drypoint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.189
In Orchestra Hall
Daten.d.
drypoint
Not on view
Beatrice S. Levy, Rain in the Hills, 1935, etching on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.605
Rain in the Hills
Date1935
etching on paper
Not on view

Related Books

OurAmerica_500.jpg
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture. This beautifully illustrated volume presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. Our America includes works by artists who participated in all the various artistic styles and movements, including abstract expressionism; activist, conceptual, and performance art; and classic American genres such as landscape, portraiture, and scenes of everyday life. 

Exhibitions

Media - 2011.12 - SAAM-2011.12_1 - 77591
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
October 25, 2013March 2, 2014
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge.

More Artworks from the Collection

Salvatore Mancini, Narragansett Electric, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.8
Narragansett Electric
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Salvatore Mancini, Remains of Lock, Millville, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.6
Remains of Lock, Millville
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Keisha Scarville, Chair, 2001, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Perkins Center for the Arts, 2002.17, © 2001, Keisha Scarville
Chair
Date2001
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Salvatore Mancini, Eel Fisherman, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.2
Eel Fisherman
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view