Southern California will soon welcome its latest cultural destination, the new 61,420-square-foot Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in downtown Riverside, slated to open June 18. In the meantime, the center is hard at work installing its very first artworks, including a showstopping 26-foot tall artwork by artist-brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre.
The first installed artwork at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture is an intricate piece full of details that pay homage of Latinx culture, as well as the Inland Empire, now the fourth largest Latino metro region in the area. | Paula Kiley
A longtime collector of the de la Torre brothers, Cheech Marin said that their work was an obvious choice to help welcome the public. "We wanted something in your face as you walk in," said Marin of the lenticular art, "It'll be a signature for the building."
Inspired by the Aztec earth goddess Coatlicue, the as-yet unnamed piece shifts and changes as viewers move across the artwork. As one walks from left to right, the LED-backlit image turns from a giant being made of flora and fauna to one made out of lowrider cars. "We wanted to portray a positive future where we're going to use technology to sequester carbon dioxide," said Einar, "Even though we're here because of technology, technology has to be our savior at this point."
Viewed from one aspect, the two-story lenticular artwork is more man-made than natural. The large central figure looks like she is made of lowrider cars. | Paula Kiley
As one moves to the other side, the large central figure now looks like she is made of more flora and fauna. | Paula Kiley
"We also didn't want to have a simplistic read of: nature, good; technology, bad," said Jamex, "They both represent both."
Visitors will marvel at the scale of the artwork, as well as enjoy the many Easter eggs embedded into the artwork. Sharp-eyed art lovers will appreciate seeing a map stretching from East Los Angeles to Riverside hidden beneath all the layers, as well as a constantly changing imagery, flipping from natural to man-made and back again. Here are a few photos to give you a glimpse of the massive installation.
Jamex and Einar dela Torre and Cheech Marin are being interviewed on the installation of the first artwork at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. | Paula Kiley
Cheech Marin congratulates Jamex de la Torre on the first installed piece at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. | Paula Kiley
Einar de la Torre starts his ascent to see the full extent of their first installed artwork at Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. | Paula Kiley
Jamex de la Torre, left, Cheech Marin and Einar de la Torre look at the first installed artwork at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. | Carren Jao
Brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre point out details of their new artwork at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. | Paula Kiley
For those with keen eyes, Einar and Jamex de la Torre included some easter eggs of Latinx culture, including two Cheech cherubs like this one. | Paula Kiley
The lower section of the welcoming artwork by the de la Torre brothers at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. | Carren Jao
Cheech Marin has yet to find time to enjoy each detail of this first commissioned artwork for the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. Einar de la Torre points out some interesting details to start. | Paula Kiley
Einar de la Torre, Cheech Marin and Jamex de la Torre stand proudly in front of the first installed artwork at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. | Carren Jao
The welcoming piece of artwork from the brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre stretches 26 feet from ground floor to the second-level balcony. | Paula Kiley
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