Rubén Ortiz Torres’ conceptual work explores historical narratives and cultural intersections influenced by anarchy, punk, Chicanx culture, and minimalism. Currently the artist utilizes various lowrider techniques, converting aluminum panels, shopping carts, and border patrol vehicles into provocative artworks that are powerful critiques of contemporary society.
Widely recognized as a pacesetter of postmodernism, Ortiz Torres’ work is in significant collections internationally including Los Angeles County Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA; Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, Mexico; La Colección Jumex, Mexico City, Mexico; Mexican Museum of Fine Arts, Chicago, IL; Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; The Metropolitan Museum New York, NY; The Tate Modern, London, UK; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain; The Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ; The Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA and The Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C.
