Carambolages

The technical skill, stylistic evolution, and thematic coherence of Ramírez led Roberta Smith of The New York Times to describe him as ‘simply one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.’ Ramírez’s talents were recognized early on in small exhibitions as early as the 1950s. Present in the guggenheim and moma collections, in 2010, the 20th-century master was the subject of a comprehensive exhibition organized by Brooke Davis Anderson at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reína Sofía in Madrid, titled Martín Ramírez: Reframing Confinement. In 2015, the United States Postal Service issued a series of five commemorative stamps Martin Ramirez Forever.

Friedrich Schröder-Sonnenstern was born on the German-Russian border and received little education. As a child, accusations of theft and subsequent threatening behavior led to his being sent to a series of reform schools and ultimately to an asylum. These experiences gave him a lifelong hatred of authority. After a number of menial jobs, including time spent in the army, in a circus and as a fortune-teller, Schröder-Sonnenstern became ill, and eventually became bed-ridden. He turned to painting and drawing, having been introduced to art during a short spell in prison at an earlier period in his life. Using coloured pencil over thin washes of paint to achieve depth, Schröder-Sonnenstern[…]