Chuck Ramirez American, 1962-2010

As an artist and art director, Chuck Ramirez processed and deconstructed the media world in which he lived. Using typography and digital imaging technology, Ramirez isolates and recontextualizes familiar objects and texts to explore the human condition. Always personally relevant, the artist explored cultural identity, mortality, and consumerism through his photographs and installations; his work subverted stereotypes of those who cross cultural boundaries. Ramirez resurrects waste—photographing filled garbage bags, dying flowers, and battered, empty piñatas—reflecting on the fleeting nature of human existence. Working with materials and images that were part of his daily life—a life impacted by being HIV positive—he transformed the language and power of advertising into a call for action compassion, expression, and self-actualization.

In 2002 guest curator Jerome Sans selected him for Artpace, San Antonio artist-in-residence program; Ramirez’s work has left an indelible mark on the art world. His pieces have been exhibited nationally and internationally, gaining recognition for their unique perspective and profound themes. In 2012, The Smithsonian American Art Museum acknowledged the importance of his art by acquiring his limited edition large-format photograph, Seven Days: Breakfast Tacos, for their permanent collection. The winter of 2017 saw the McNay Art Museum host the first significant survey of his work in the exhibition Chuck Ramirez: All This and Heaven Too, further cementing his place in the art canon. Recently, his work has been acquired by prestigious institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY and the Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX, underscoring the enduring relevance of his artistic vision.

Besides the above-mentioned museum collections, his work is in numerous permanent museum collections, among others: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX; The Pérez Art Museum (PAMM), Miami, FL; The San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, TX; The European Museum of Photography, Paris, France; The McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX; El Museo Del Barrio, New York, NY; The Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, TX; The New México Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM; Indiana University Art Museum, Bloomington, IN; Ruby City, San Antonio, TX; Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA; Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore MD.

Chuck Ramirez was a major force in the San Antonio art community before his untimely death in a 2010 cycling accident.  Ruiz-Healy Art is the exclusive representative for the estate of Chuck Ramirez.