Arte Objecto Mazahua, intricate embroidery

When I was in San Cristobal de Las Casas in the state of Chiapas this last February, and I am so glad I was able to travel, I took my group to  the Museo de Lost Altos de Chiapas 
Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán.  There is a gallery space that has special exhibitions.   And this particular exhibition was spectacular.

The Arte Objecto Mazahuan (Art Object Mazahua) Exhibition.  Artisans from the community of San Felipe Santiago in the state of Mexico produced 55 pieces of embroidery that are on display.  

 The detail and intricate designs are just beautiful.

It was designer Isabel Quijano Leon who established a relationship with the Mazahua and works with them in creating new designs and helps market their products.

A common thread in the Mazahua dress is the traditional "sacks", blouses of different, bright colors.

The exhibition has been presented in Merida at the Museo Casa Montejo, the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City, the textile Museum in Oaxaca and the Museum of Anthropology and History of the Mexican Cultural Center in the state of Mexico.  And I believe onto San Miguel de Allende.

 

 Hard at work.

Hopefully when life starts to get back to normal, the museo will re-open.  The show is there until June.  In the mean time, enjoy my photos of these incredible textiles.

Dolores Olmedo Patino Museo - Los Ofrendas

The Day of the Dead is a popular time of year for families to honor and celebrate departed ancestors and Dolores Olmedo was known for her "ofrendas" (offerings) dedicated to the deceased.  Every year there is a new theme and a portion of the museum (located at the entrance, next to the gift shop) is dedicated to these displays of ofrendas.
This last year, 2019, the ofrendas were dedicated to architects and engineers whose talents have enhanced the landscape of Mexico City.

The Cathedral Metropolitana in the main zocalo, 

 one of the greatest religious buildings in Latin America. 

The exhibition also included the Metro, the great mass transit system that moves the population from one place to the other.

I don't know if many spotted this, but the train is taking passengers to Mictlan!  The ancient Xolos were used to protect and guide the deceased spirit through the perils of Mictlan.  I don't think I will be taking this particular train.

I love that the ceiling is row after row of the papel picados.

A section of Diego Rivera's fifty foot mural, "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon" in Alameda Park, Mexico City's first city park that was built on the grounds of an ancient Aztec marketplace.

The well dressed gentleman with the black suit and derby hat is Jose Guadalupe Posada, an illustrator and engraver who created the  La Calavera Catrina (standing next to him).  The Catrina, a conceited female dandy, mocks the European-influenced ruling, upper class during the reign of Porfirio Diaz.  Posada's narrative style was hugely influenced Diego Rivera.  The Catrina is an allusion to the Aztec Earth Mother, Coatlicue.  The plumed serpent boa around her neck is symbolic of her son Quertzalcoatl.  Her belt buckle is the Aztec astrological sign of Ollin, symbolizing perpetual motion.  Frida Kahlo is in her traditional Mexican dress.  In her left hand she holds the Yin-Yang symbol of duality and the other rests protectively on the shoulder of a young Diego Rivera.

The World Trade Center designed by engineer Guillermo Rossell de la Lama.

The World Trade Center Tower elevators have a seismic detector that detects any movement of earth and therefore automatically stops the elevator at the nearest stop to allow passengers to get off.

And one of my all time favorite buildings in Mexico City, the Museum of Anthropology by the "father of Mexican Architecture", Pedro Ramirez Vasquez.

The museum’s large, central patio is almost covered by a 275 foot canopy which sits on a 36 foot pillar, the largest concrete structure in the world supported by a single pillar.   This handsome museum only took 19 months to build.

Palacio de los Deportes - Sports Palace

Built between October 15, 1966 and September, 1968, it is circular in design with a square-patterned dome spanning 380 feet and enclosing an area of 6.7 acres.  Designed by architect Felix Candela, the dome consists of hyperbolic paraboloids of tubular aluminum covered with waterproof copper-sheathed plywood and supported by huge steel arches. The Sports Palace seats 22,370!

The building was host to the basketball games for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Satellite Towers by architect Luis Barragan. 

His use of color was remarkable.

 An altar of skulls, marigolds, photos, water and salt in honor of the deceased from the earthquake of September of 1985.  And the reconstruction of Mexico City.

These Ofrendas are on display from the end of October to the end of December.  It will be interesting to see what the theme is for next year.  Stay tuned for I am taking another group to Puebla and Mexico City next October.



MUSEO DOLORES OLMEDO PATINO
Avenida Mexico 5843
La Noria
Xochimilco 

Tuesday - Sunday
10am - 6pm

The Dolores Olmedo Patino Museum - Part Three

A special gallery space has been dedicated to folk art from various states around Mexico.  The display on the main floor in the central courtyard is dedicated to the Catrinas from Capula in the state of Michoacan.

The Catrina, a conceited female dandy, mocks the European-influenced ruling, upper class during the reign of Porfirio Diaz. The word Catrina is the feminine form of the word catrin, which means elegant. Today, the Catrina is one of the most popular figures of the Day of the Dead celebrations and a symbol that has been mass produced.

The pottery of Juan Mata Ortiz is the recreation of the Mongollon pottery found in the archaeological site of Casa Grandes in the state of Chihuahua.  Named after the town, it was JUan Quezada Celado who recreated this pottery with updated designs.   Eventually friends and neighbors learned this technique and by the 1990's, pieces were being sold in high end galleries and shown in museums.

The burnished pottery of Tonala is well know.  In the 1960's, it was Jorge Wilmont who made two major contributions to the ceramics, introducing firing the pottery at high temperatures and introducing modern designs into them mix with the traditional Mexican Designs.  He said, “La cerámica de las artes es una de las más antiguas y a su vez de las más modernas” (Ceramics is one of the oldest and most modern art forms)  Thus, the need to preserve tradition but modify it.
He also was known for his creations of the “bruñido” pottery in the form of animals: lions, cats, quail, turtles, doves...

Petatillo pottery from Tonala in the state of Jalisco.  Created in the early 20th century, Petatillo decoration refers to the crosshatch pattern of lines in the background of the main design.  The name comes from the petates, the woven straw mats.  Once the main design is applied, the petatillo fills in the empty spaces.

Like Puebla, the ceramic Mayolica or Talavara ware, is also well known in the state of Guanajuato.   Made in a similar manner, the designs from Guanajuato are a bit less formal with a looser style.
Gorky Gonzales, originally a painter and sculptor, was responsible for revitalizing the Majolica industry.   In the early 1960s he came across an antique piece of pottery imported from the Mediterranean and began experimenting with the double glaze technique known as Majolica. The technique, traditionally associated with Spanish colonialism, had been abandoned in Mexico after they gained their independence in the 1820’s.  Today Guanajuato and the nearby town of Dolores Hidalgo have a successful talavera industry.

The state of Michoacan is famous for its numerous artisans.  The stacking green pots, Torres de ollas, is a well known design from Patamban.  Patamban and San Jose de Gracia is well known for their greenglazed pinas, large pineapple-shaped water jars.   The large black glazed tree of Life candelabra comes from San Fe de la Laguna. 

The state of Guerrero is known for its numerous masks used in ceremonial dances celebrating many different occasions.  Usually made of wood, from the avocado tree, copal, pine and willow. 
Another important product of Olinala, Guerrero is lacquerware, seen in these handsome chests.

The state of Mexico surrounds the country's capital city.  Metepec is best known for its Trees of Life and Death.   Metepec's patron saint is San Isidore, the farmer (as shown above). 

"La Pulqueria" by Pedro Linares - Mexico City.  The Linares family in Mexico City are among the best known artesans of the craft known as "cartoneria" or the use of papier-mache to create hard sculptured objects. Famous for the creation of forms such as skeletons, skulls, Judas figures and fantastical creatures called alebrijes.

I can totally relate to the next three photos, for this is the area I am taking my next group to, Chiapas. 
The Fiesta Grande de Chiapa de Corzo  takes place from January 8 to 23 of each year, to celebrate the feast of San Sebastian.
The whole city of Chiapa de Corzo participates actively in the celebration, taking part in the dances of the Parachicos (masked dancers) and parades. 
The beautiful textiles that the mannequin is wearing is from Zinacantan.  A town knowfor their textiles and their Sunday market.

Pottery from Amatenango del Valle in Chiapas.  The women are the primary potters and the jaguar is a popular theme. 

Textiles from Zinacantan and San Juan Chamula,   Note the large jaguar from Amatenango del Valle. 

A wonderful collection of folk art and textiles.

MUSEO DOLORES OLMEDO PATINO
Avenida Mexico 5843
La Noria
Xochimilco 

Tuesday - Sunday
10am - 6pm

The Dolores Olemdo Patino Museum - Lithographs by Pablo O'Higgins

One gallery/room at La Noria is dedicated to the works of Pablo O'Higgins (March 1, 1904 - July 16, 1983), an American-Mexican artist, muralist and illustrator.  He studied at the School of Fine Arts in San Diego before moving to Mexico at the age of 20.   He became  a primary assistant to Diego Rivera and a life long friend and mentor.   Like Rivera, he became an active member of the Mexican Communist party.

The lithographs by O'Higgins are very powerful. 

Many of his themes are the dispossessed, the forgotten, friends, urban and rural workers, of the Mexican countryside and even his wife Maria, appeared in some of his works.

In 1937, O'Higgins became the co-founder along with artists Leopoldo Mendez and Luis Arenal, of the Taller de Grafica Popular (People's Graphic Workshop).  

In 1940, he was the only non-native Mexican artist to have his work included in the seminal "Twenty Centuries of Mexican Art" exhibit organized by the Museum of Modern Art.

I love the somewhat tormented, Agave.

A photo I took of this twisted Agave on the grounds of the Museum.  So reminisce of the lithograph above.

In 1961, he was awarded honorary Mexican Citizenship for his contributions to the national arts and education.

It is a great collection of his lithographs.  


MUSEO DOLORES OLMEDO PATINO
Avenida Mexico 5843
La Noria
Xochimilco 

Tuesday - Sunday
10am - 6pm

Poly-Angularity, from every angle, I see you!

I was inspired by Diego Rivera's painting of Dolores Olmedo's daughter, Irene, 

that I just wrote about on my last post.   I had to find this one photo I took a while ago and share it with you.   It is my version of "Poly-Angularity", a technique in which the subject looks at the viewer from every angle she is seen from.  It is a pretty haunting effect.

As I mentioned, in my last home in San Miguel de Allende, I had many of my photos made into giclees,  a highly detailed printing process on canvas.  I had them framed and hung in the house.   The photo below is a very creative artisan, Emilia, from the town of Ocumicho in the state of Michoacan, Mexico.  The artisans of Ocumicho are known for their creative, many times bizarre and fantastical, clay figures and scenes.  I have quite a collection, and many wonderful pieces made by Emilia herself.

Her image hung in the hallway off the kitchen, and I swear, her eyes followed me everywhere.  I felt her presence all the time whether I was on one side of the kitchen or the other.