Born in Mexico, 1885 - 1960

Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Ramirez came to America seeking a better life.  Sometime later he was detained as homeless in California.  He was commited to the Auburn State Hospital where he never uttered a single word for the remainder of his life. He drew on scraps of paper which were held together to form larger sheets with potato starch, using tiny stubbs of pencils. The hospital staff were ordered to seize the works and burn them at the end of the day. Ramirez then hid his work and some 300 drawings managed to survive with care of his doctor Dr. Tarmo Pasto, Chicago artist Jim Nutt later discovered the work and organized the very first exhibitions. Ramirez work often depicts symbols of the freedom he so desperately yearned for - Riders and outlaws on horses, stags and tigers, trains travelling through tunnels. Ramirez's work also contains a potent ornamental element which gives the subjects a sense of theatricality.   Please inquire about available works by this artist.