Ricco Maresca Gallery, New York, Oct 26 to Dec 2 2017.
This show focuses on the structural repetition that defined Martín Ramírez’s work during his decades of institutionalization. The pieces here are a tight look at his specific visual vocabulary: the tunnels, the horsemen, and the architectural “stages” he built out of salvaged paper and paste.
What stands out most in this selection is the technical rhythm. Ramírez uses parallel lines to create a sense of deep, recessed space that feels both cinematic and claustrophobic.
The work is intensely physical; you can see the seams where he joined scraps of paper together to create larger surfaces. There is a “Madonnas” series in the gallery that is particularly striking, showing how he could transform a simple, repetitive line into a monumental, draped form. There’s no wasted motion in these drawings. Despite the “outsider” label often attached to him, the work feels incredibly deliberate and mathematically precise. It’s a study in how a limited set of tools and a restricted environment can still produce a vast, expansive sense of travel.
