The Center for Arts in San Agustín Etla and Francisco Toledo

One of my favorite places to visit when in Oaxaca is the Center for the Arts in San Agustín Etla, after of course coming from having several delicious tamales in the market in Etla on a Wedneday, their market day.  

I always stop at "Tamales Maty".  That morning I bought Flor de Calabazas (squash blossoms), Pollo y Salsa Verde (chicken with green sauce) and Rajas (roasted poblanos).  Just delicious.  And she remembered me from my previous visit!  She always throws in one or two different tamales as an extra treat.

 

 

The Fabrica de Hilados y Tejidos La Soledad (La Soledad Yarns and Fabrics Factory) was founded in 1883 in the small community of San Agustín Etla. It was abandoned less than a century after its inception.

 

In 2000, Juchitan-born artist Francisco Toledo (17 July 1940 - 5 September 2019) spearheaded an initiative to turn the then-derelict building into an ecological arts center, which opened in 2006. 

Today, water features, gardens, and abandoned industrial machinery dot the complex.

The trees surrounding the complex are just magnificent .

The current exposition in the main building is the work of Francisco Toledo.  This main expansive space is just stunning.  The steel columns came from Chicago Steel & Iron.

Toledo works in every conceivable medium—oil, watercolor, ink, metal, he makes cloth puppets, lithographs, tapestries, ceramics, mosaics and much, much more.

He designed tapestries with the village craftsmen of Teotitlán del Valle.  These two weaving demonstrate his opposition to the introduction genetically modified corn into Mexico, something that has been a huge issue in the Oaxaca valley.
 

His iron works are wonderful.

 

Toledo was heavily influenced by Zapotec myths and legends, and the wildlife and flora of a rural upbringing. His work is filled with the many Zapotec deities, the bat god, the gods of rain and fire, and the sacred animals—rabbits, coyotes, jaguars, deer and turtles.

Toledo's devotion to social and cultural concerns did not stop here.  He participated in the establishment of an art library at the Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (IAGO), in the founding of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca (MACO), the Patronato Pro-Defensa y Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural de Oaxaca, a library for the blind, a photographic center, and the Eduardo Mata Music Library. 

 

He fought against the building of a McDonald's in Oaxaca City, right in the zocalo.

He announced that he would take off all his clothes and stand naked in front of the  proposed site.  He would enlist the help of a few fellow artists and hand out free tamales to anyone who joined the protest, reminding them of their true native food.
Hundreds of people marched in the 2002 event, chanting “Tamales, yes! Hamburgers, no!” In the end,  Toledo did not find it necessary to take off his clothes.

 

And how fortunate my group and I were there for this latest exhibition, especially honoring the artist who was instrumental in restoring this outstanding complex.  What a beautiful setting!

Jacarandas are in full Bloom

The Jacaranda Trees are in full bloom right now in parts of Mexico.  They certainly were when I was in Oaxaca a week ago.  It bears masses of vibrant purple-blue flowers and is a popular street tree in warmer climates.  The Jacaranda was a gift from a Japanese immigrant, Tatsugoro Matsumoto, and is a symbol of international friendship.

Matsumoto was an imperial gardener from Tokyo who came to Mexico in 1896.  He first settled in Peru as an invitation of the government where he was commissioned to design several gardens for the country.  After a few years, the government of Japan asked him to come to Mexico.

The "Colonia Roma" was one of the most elegant neighborhoods in Mexico City at the time and he began designing and maintaining gardens for many of the residents.  After gaining an impeccable reputation, President Porfirio Diaz asked him to oversee the floral arrangements for the presidential palace and the expansive grounds surrounding the Chapultepec Castle. 

In 1920, President Alvaro Obregon commissioned Matsumoto to plant Jacaranda trees (originally from Brazil) in the main avenues of Mexico City.  And today, they have become a landmark to many cities and villages across Mexico.  

Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City.  Pretty spectacular!
 

Matsumoto fell so in love with Mexico City and its colonial architecture, he returned to Japan once his contract was over to collect his wife and bring her back to the city where they lived the rest of their lives.  He died in 1955 at the age of 95.

 

Saint Lorenzo, also known as Saint Lawrence

Sangre de Cristo, a small church built on top of an old cemetery in Oaxaca, was consecrated in 1689 and declared as its own parish in 1893.  The plot on which it was built was still being used as a cemetery in Oaxaca until the mid-seventeenth century.  Located along the pedestrian Alcala Street across from the Labastida Park, it features a plain facade with an ornate portal and two small bell towers. 

The interior with its whitewashed walls has minimal accent colors, a single nave with no side isles.

 

But what has always intrigued me was the saint holding a grate that stood in the niche on the south side of the church.   A few saints have always interested me:  Saint Martin de Porros, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Pascal, Saint Roche (Roch) and of course, Saint Michael (San Miguel Archangel) but I had no knowledge of Saint Lorenzo, also known as Saint Lawrence.

A Spaniard by birth, Lorenzo was one of the seven deacons of Rome, that is, one of the seven trusted men of the Pope Sixtuus.  His job was of great responsibility, he was in charge of distributing aid to the poor and keeper of the library of sacred books.

In the year 257, Emperor Valerian published a decree of persecution in which he ordered that everyone who declared himself a Christian would be sentenced to death. On August 6, Pope Saint Sixtus was celebrating Holy Mass in a cemetery in Rome when he was arrested and murdered along with four of his deacons by the emperor's police. 

 

Saint Sixtus instructed Lorenzo to collect all the money and other goods that the Church had in Rome and distribute them among the poor. 

Overhearing this, the Roman authorities commanded that Lorenzo collect all the treasures of the Church, because the emperor needs money to pay for a war that is about to begin.

Lorenzo asked for three days to gather all the treasures of the Church, and in those days he invited all the poor, cripples, beggars, orphans, widows, elderly, mutilated, blind and lepers that he helped with his alms. 

The mayor arrived very happy thinking of filling himself with gold and silver and when he saw such a collection of misery and disease he was greatly disgusted, but Lorenzo said, "Why is he disgusted? These are the most appreciated treasures of the church of Christ!"

The mayor was enraged, ordering him to be killed.  He was tortured and eventually placed on a gridiron and roasted!  The mayor said, "Since he has so many desires to be a martyr, I will martyr him horribly."

After a while of burning on the grill, the martyr said to the judge: "I'm already roasted on one side. Now go back to the other side to be completely roasted." The executioner ordered him to be turned over and so he burned himself completely. When he felt that he was already completely roasted he exclaimed: "The meat is ready, you can eat." And with a tranquility that no one had imagined, he prayed for the conversion of Rome and the spread of the religion of Christ throughout the world, and exhaled his last breath. It was August 10, 258.

 

The Martyrdon of Saint Lawrence

by Rubens

1614

A morning at the Denver Botanic Gardens to see the Alebrijes created by the workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles

 

Amadillo - Insect

Jacobo and María Ángeles are married artists living in San Martín Tilcajete in Oaxaca, Mexico.  It is a taller (workshop) that I have often taken my groups to. 

Created by the workshop of the Ángeles', these brightly colored and intricately painted sculptures adorn the grounds of the Denver Botanic Gardens.  These animals are inspired by the Zapotec calendar, also known as Spirit Guides.  Unlike the animals carved from the native Copal wood in their taller, these are made of fiberglass and painted with acrylics.

  

Jaguar - Eagle

The flowers were spectacular at the gardens.
 

Coyote ~ Fish

 

 Nature is so beautiful!  A cobweb among the plants with the morning dew on it. 

Rabbit ~ Deer

The lily ponds are some of my favorite spots at the gardens.

Deer ~ Butterfly

Monkey ~ Lizard

More water lilies.  Such vibrant colors.

Back in Oaxaca, photos taken on one of my tours.  These wooden carved figures are called Alebrijes.  

The first alebrijes originated in Mexico City, originally created by artist Pedro Linares in the 1940's who created Cartoneria or papier-mâché sculptures.   The papier-mâché-to-wood carving adaptation was pioneered by Arrazola native Manuel Jimenez whom I was fortunate to visit with when traveling with my parents years and years ago.  This version of the craft has since spread to several other towns in Oaxaca, most notably San Martín Tilcajete and La Unión Tejalapan, and has become a significant source of income for the area, especially for San Martín.

The carvers allow the shape of the wood dictate the form of the imaginary animals they create.

 

One needs a steady hand for this delicate work.

To really grasp the talent and creativity that goes into each of these animals, one really should visit one of the many tallers in San Martín Tilcajete, a place where I am taking another group to in March of 2025.

Fiestas are prominent in Oaxaca and an expression of their imagination.  As an Oaxacan saying goes, "We are Catholic by day and Zapotec by night."  How true in their depiction of the alebrijes. 

David Alfaro Siqueiros murals on the National Autonomous University of Mexico's campus

Recently I was in Mexico City leading one of my tours and our visit to the the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) was inspiring.  The library designed by Juan O'Gorman was simply magnificent and the murals by David Alfaro Siqueros were an extra bonus to see.  (There are actually three murals but I only captured images of two of them).

The Mexican Muralist Movement started in the early 1920s in which the Mexican government commissioned artists to make art that would educate the mostly illiterate population about the country’s history and present a powerful vision of its future. The movement followed the Mexican Revolution.  Inspired by the idealism of the Revolution, artists created epic, politically charged public murals that stressed Mexico’s pre-colonial history and culture and that depicted peasants, workers, and people of mixed Indian-European heritage as the heroes who would forge its future. The murals were executed in techniques including fresco, encaustic, mosaic, and relief.  David Alfaro Siqueiros along with José Clemente Orozco and  Diego Rivera were considered the leaders of the Mexican Muralism.

 

The Rectory Tower is a Modernist architectural triumph and heavily influenced by Le Corbusier.  A prism of glass facades, it is built merely of reinforced concrete columns and slabs.  The building is the work of  Mario Pani , Enrique del Moral and Salvador Ortega Flores.   (The lower left are two friends that were on my tour).

Las Fechas de La Historia de Mexico o El Derecho a La Cultura

The mural depicts an extended arm with two hands with interlaced fingers and a third that sticks out with a pencil pointing to an open book.   The book has some of the county's important dates on it:  1520 - 1810 and 1857 - 1910.  These dates represent significant historical dates, such as the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire in 1520 and the defeat of the Spanish troops by insurgent forces in 1810.  The Constitution of 1857 established individual rights and 1910 was the start of the Mexican Revolution.

  Nuevo Símbolo de la Universidad ~ New Symbol of the University

One can see a Great Condor and Golden Eagle biting into a vibrant sun, which represents truth and knowledge.  Note how the wings of the birds wrap around the edges of the walls continuing into the building.

What a treat not only to see the magnificent library but to see these powerful murals!

 

The Library of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City

 

 

UNAM  -  National Autonomous University of Mexico

Construction of the UNAM Central Library began in 1950 and the library opened its doors in 1956. Designed by the architect and muralist Juan O’Gorman, it’s been classified as a masterpiece of functionalist architecture ever since.

 

The library contains one of the largest book collections in Mexico, with over 600,000 books.  The library needed to be primary windowless to protect this vast collection from the rays of the sun.

The base of the building is made of the volcanic rock on which the building rests and the reliefs there reflect the motifs of the pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico.  The façades were covered with natural colored stones that shaped the mural titled Historical Representation of the Culture. The mural is one of the largest in the world.

Carlos Lazo (Manager of the Ciudad Universitaria project) was very excited, especially by the idea of making a mural made just out of thousands of colored stones, something that never had been done at that scale.

     “The general theme of the mural is related to the evolution of culture. In the upper part, I represented the cosmological symbols, on the north wall, figures allusive to the pre-Hispanic culture, on the south wall, I developed the argument about colonial culture, on the sides, I referred to the modern age, and on the east side, I represented the atom as a cosmological symbol of our century. I had originally projected the Newtonian concept of universal attraction on the west side. I had to vary it by having to represent there the university shield with the corresponding motto, which, in my opinion, should have gone in the rectory building."   ~   Juan O’Gorman

 

The murals serves as a codex. That’s to say, it’s a narrative of the history of the country and the national university.

 

North Wall: Pre-Hispanic Past

The north wall of the building represents images of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican cultures and their deities. The theme turns around a life-death duality.  

 

Flowing throughout the entire mural are the chinampas, blue waterways created by the Aztecs.  The national emblem is the image of an eagle holding a snake in its beak perched on top of a cactus. 

 

West Wall: The University and Modern Mexico

 

It's the National University in all its grandeur with the coat-of-arms holding the most central position. Other representations include the studies of science, culture, sports and engineering.

At the very top, we can see a banner flying in the wind with the words the National Autonomous University of Mexico in large letters. Below is one Mexican eagle and one Andean condor holding large shield with a map of Latin Americas with a star where Mexico located.  Around the shield is the phrase, “For my people, the spirit shall speak.”

South Wall: Colonial Past

Depicts the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico and the Conquest, and a dual God and Devil.  It also presents the physical trappings of that period of history, including churches, guns, maps, manuscripts and monks.                                 

 East Wall: Contemporaneous World

Portrays Mexican modernity, with the Revolution as one of its themes. In the center, a model of the atom generates the principle of life.  And the difference of the moon and the sun look down from above.

What a beautiful campus!

The entrance going into the library.

 

It was the perfect afternoon to visit this extraordinary building.