Bárbara Miñarro; We are Staying Put, 2017; work and photograph courtesy of the artist.

Synthesis & Subversion Redux

2.15.25—9.28.25

Ruby City proudly presents Synthesis & Subversion Redux, an exhibition celebrating the legacy of Frances Jean Colpitt and the evolving conversation around Latinx art. This new exhibition revisits Colpitt’s groundbreaking 1996 show, Synthesis and Subversion: A Latino Direction in San Antonio Art, and its influence on contemporary art practices today.

In 1996, Colpitt brought together a group of San Antonio-based artists—Jesse Amado, David Padilla Cabrera, Alejandro Diaz, Franco Mondini-Ruiz, Ana de Portela, and Chuck Ramirez—who explored identity, abstraction, and the everyday through conceptual approaches. The exhibition challenged norms and sparked critical debate, becoming a pivotal moment in San Antonio’s art history.

Now, nearly 30 years later, Redux builds on Colpitt’s vision while reflecting the profound changes in the art world since then. Curated by two Latinas in leadership roles at major institutions, Ruby City Director, Elyse A. Gonzales, and Curator of Latinx Art at the McNay Art Museum, Mia Lopez,  Redux showcases the work of five contemporary artists: Juan Carlos Escobedo, Jenelle Esparza, Bárbara Miñarro, Angeles Salinas, and José Villalobos. These artists bring fresh perspectives to themes of identity, memory, and culture, often through craft-informed practices that incorporate textiles, personal history, and connections to the U.S.-Mexico border.

In her original exhibition, Colpitt explored how Latinx artists could synthesize personal and cultural experiences with conceptual art practices. The artists featured in Redux honor this foundation while addressing contemporary issues like gender, migration, and bicultural identity. Their works embody hybridity and intersectionality, using materials such as textiles and clothing to weave together stories of resilience, family, and heritage.

This new iteration also reflects a significant societal shift. In the 1990s, the art world often overlooked artists working outside mainstream contemporary discourse. Today, these historically marginalized practices are embraced as central to the broader narrative of contemporary art, celebrated for their ability to challenge conventions, elevate diverse voices, and offer fresh perspectives on identity and cultural heritage.

The exhibition will be on view from February 15, 2025 through September 28, 2025 at Studio, located inside Chris Park. The opening reception, which will feature an exhibition walkthrough with both Gonzalez and co-curator, Lopez, will take place on Saturday, February 15 from 2-3PM with a reception following from 3-5PM. The event is free and open to the public.

About the Artists

Juan Carlos Escobedo (b. 1985 El Paso, TX; lives San Antonio, TX) uses cardboard to create fantastical clothing items that feature intricate architectural renderings of homes and landscapes. His work addresses his experience of race and class on the border and throughout the United States, using cheap, ephemeral material as a conduit for larger considerations of socioeconomic discrimination and prejudice.

Jenelle Esparza (b. 1985 Corpus Christi, TX; lives San Antonio, TX) began her artistic career as a photographer, using her camera to capture landscapes and environments throughout South Texas. As she documented cotton fields where her family has historically labored, she soon began a conceptual investigation of cotton as material. Using textiles, found objects, and her family’s history and memories she explores the legacies and traumas of agricultural labor.

Bárbara Miñarro (b. 1994, Monterrey, Mexico; lives Austin, TX) reflects on migration and the complexities of the United States-Mexico border through her soft sculptures and installations. Miñarro incorporates clothing worn by herself and other immigrants into her works, imbuing each object with tactile memories and personal journeys.

Angeles Salinas (b. 1972, Mexico City, Mexico; lives San Antonio, TX) deconstructs gender and cultural identity through installations, sculptures, and paintings. In works that are both nostalgic and critical, Salinas investigates her own notions of femininity and family alongside those of contemporary society. Using garments, personal ephemera, and textile elements, she dismantles and complicates stereotypes related to women, motherhood, and immigration.

José Villalobos (b. 1988, El Paso, TX; lives San Antonio, TX) confronts machismo and homophobia in performance, installation, and multimedia works. He embraces cultural practices and symbolism often associated with masculinity—cowboy boots and hats alongside machinery, tools, and trucks—and skews their meaning. He recalls his own lived traumas through corporal performance and activations, contending with violence and resilience.

Angeles Salinas; Anatomical Dissection, 2023; courtesy of the artist; photograph by Christopher Karr.