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 (3 items)

Erik Demaine, Martin Demaine, Green Balance, 2011, Mi-Teintes watercolor paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artists in honor of the fortieth anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, 2011.54.3, © 2011, Erik and Martin Demaine
Green Balance
Date2011
Mi-Teintes watercolor paper
Not on view
Erik Demaine, Martin Demaine, Natural Cycles, 2009, Zanders Elefantenhaut paper (elephant hide paper), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artists in honor of the fortieth anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, 2011.54.1, © 2009, Erik and Martin Demaine
Natural Cycles
Date2009
Zanders Elefantenhaut paper (elephant hide paper)
Not on view
Erik Demaine, Martin Demaine, Hugging Circles, 2011, Zanders Elefantenhaut paper (elephant hide paper), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artists in honor of the fortieth anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, 2011.54.2, © 2011, Erik and Martin Demaine
Hugging Circles
Date2011
Zanders Elefantenhaut paper (elephant hide 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.

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Leopardus pardalis (Ocelot)
Date1998
hot glass and Graal technique
On view
Mark Matthews, Neofelis nebulosa (Clouded Leopard), 1998, hot glass and Graal technique, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist and family in honor of Francis M. Greenwell, 1999.21.10, © 1999, Mark Matthews
Neofelis nebulosa (Clouded Leopard)
Date1998
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On view
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Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetah)
Date1998
hot glass and Graal technique
On view
Mark Matthews, Panthera onca (Jaguar), 1998, hot glass and Graal technique, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist and family in honor of Francis M. Greenwell, 1999.21.7, © 1999, Mark Matthews
Panthera onca (Jaguar)
Date1998
hot glass and Graal technique
On view