The whimsy is uncontrollable and seemingly pours out of the front windows of Koplin Del Rio Gallery in the SODO arts district in Seattle. The work is unmistakable and anyone that knows knows. The de la Torre’s brothers (Einar and Jamex) have for decades been a staple both within the glassblowing community but also the fine-art community. In a world where craft tends to be ostracized from fine art (until recently), these brothers have been breaking down that wall with youthful awareness that doesn’t even acknowledge barriers exist.

Brave Heart, 2021. Courtesy of the artists and Koplin Del Rio Gallery.

Entering the gallery, my thoughts go to a beautiful place which exists when you bravely mash together the sensibility of a child’s wonderland with the exaggerated talents of highly skilled artisans—throw in some cultural activism for the spice, and we have an amazing art menudo.

The sculptures are not sexy high-polished objects a la Koons, but they are full of meaning, exude playfulness and seem to somehow freeze that magically moment of creation. As Einar and Jamex embrace the inherent quality that glass possess, they allow the viewer to experience what the creator sees as a molten bit of material is moved and shaped to become the curved ear of a dog staring at you from atop a pedestal.

Taco Tuesday, 2023. Courtesy of the artists and Koplin Del Rio Gallery.

The art is dense, both with cultural and societal refence, but also with materials and techniques used. It is formal and makes sense withing the historic cannon in certain ways but takes great license in others. It’s also a hodgepodge, a mishmash, but in all the best ways. I may venture to say that it is a sculptural organza of weirdness. Handblown glass transitions to cast resin with various objects hidden for the viewer to explore in true vignette like fashion. It’s seamless.

The work is fun and over the top. It makes us embrace what we may have lost at some point in our youth and if you take the time to intimately explore each piece—you will be rewarded with small surprises delicately left by Einar and Jamex.