Surrealist Artwork part of “Las Cruces Collects” June 4, 2009

Artwork by the late Surrealist Leo Dohmen (1929-1999) is an important component of the new exhibition “Las Cruces Collects” at the Las Cruces Museum of Art. On loan from Las Cruces resident Mireille Dohmen-Sprengers, the sculptures and lithographs bring a sense of humor and knowledge of the absurd to a show displaying objects ranging from civil war antiquities to Mexican folk art.

Artist Leo Dohmen worked in the spirit of Surrealists such as Rene Magritte and Salvador Dali, with whom he was well acquainted. His work often employs egg forms, symbols of fertility and renewal, juxtaposed in unusual fashion with other images and symbols. Leo Dohmen is survived by his wife Mireille, a native of Antwerp, Belgium. Earning her degree at the Teachers College in Herenthals, Belgium, she also trained in mime and performance and sang with the Polymnia folk music group. From 1989 until 1994, she was the Manager for Modern Art of S.A. Kunsthandel Den Tijd, a group of commercial art galleries.

The Museum is deeply indebted to Ms. Dohmen for helping to organize the collection of her late husband’s work. Hallmarks of the collection include the lithograph “Young Guns” and “The Big War,” a chess set composed of eggs and egg cups.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Mireille Dohmen will be presenting a lecture with Debbie Rindge on Saturday, June 20th at the Rio Grande Theatre at 12:30 pm. Titled “Collecting Art: Europe and the United States, a Cross-Cultural Perspective,” the lecture will discuss the similarities and differences between European and American collecting sensibilities. A short history of collecting (on both sides of the Atlantic), images of collectible works of art, stories about well-known collectors and the legacies they left behind will be included.

On display through Saturday, August 22nd, “Las Cruces Collects” offers a rare look into the private art collections of area residents, such as Ms. Dohmen-Sprengers. Come learn the colorful tales behind these objects as well as what motivates an art collector to collect.

Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 10AM – 4PM, and Saturday, 9AM – 1PM. Admission is free. Funded by the City of Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Museum of Art is located at 491 North Main Street, at the north end of the Downtown Mall. Call 541-2137, or visit http://museums.las-cruces.org, for more information on museum exhibits and Studio Program art classes