Brothers Jamex and Einar de la Torre said that the most common question they receive is about how they collaborate. “So, you hear people say...’I love my brother, but I can never work with him,’ a lot,” said Einar. “We relate because we have two older brothers that are artists and, you know, we love our brothers, but we couldn’t collaborate with them by any means.”
You don't get the brilliant moment in the studio all by yourself, the light of God shining on your forehead.
Jamex de la Torre
Collaboration - making art together - is something Einar and Jamex have done since they started their glass lampworking business while still in school. As practiced collaborators they challenge perceptions about what it means to collaborate and what artistic collaboration entails. As Jamex explained, “we like to say that art history has done a disservice in over emphasizing the lone creators, and we think that is totally a myth. Nobody is that alone.” The brothers see discussions with colleagues, friends, and mentors as crucial collaborative moments that most artists engage in. They believe that creative dialogues with others shape the artwork’s development.
Collaboration releases you from the ultimate responsibility.
Jamex de la Torre
When Jamex and Einar work together it is an exercise in trust and understanding. “Creativity doesn’t happen with the parking brake on. And indeed, when you surrender, the other person... might erase or undo some of the things you did, in trying to make the piece better,” said Einar. The brothers’ collaborative process is natural, fluid, and evolving. Some ideas click immediately while others may be used in a different piece.
The manner in which Einar and Jamex collaborate reflects how they build their multimedia works. The brothers add and layer together imagery, concepts, and ideas before they take aspects away, until as Jamex said, “things make absolute sense.” Together, Jamex and Einar work to find a balance of design, spacing, and concepts in their work. As Jamex explained “when the weight of the creation comes to you and you're alone it is a strenuous process.” Collaboration eases the strain, as the brothers share the responsibility of artistic creation.
