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A rich wood carving tradition in Oaxaca, Mexico: Spotlight on Jacobo Ángeles

Alvin Starkman MA, LL.B.

Try searching the Americas to find the creators of folk art with more form, symbolism and importance to the development and maintenance their culture, that those of Indian origin Oaxaca (wa-HAW-ka), one of the southernmost Mexican states.

Many so-called experts in folk art have mistakenly written that the origins Oaxaca year tradition dates carved wood at fifty or sixty, a small number of sculptors who live in one of the central valleys of Oaxaca, a few kilometers from the capital of the state of the same name. The error has been assimilating marketing Recent art form with its origins, and ignoring pre-Hispanic roots and subsequent development.

Jacobo Angeles lives with his wife Mary and their two children in San Martín Tilcajete, one of three major cities of Zapotec origin, where most residents earn their living in sculpture and painting colorful figures, often generically referred to as alebrijes. The others are Tejalapan Arrazola and La Union.

At age 12 Jacobo began learning to carve from his father. More evening was sponsored by the village elders. "Over the past decades our business has certainly changed dramatically, "Jacobo explains:" With the use of more synthetic paints, a tremendous increase the range of figures are carved, and national and international demand for our growth to size exponentially and affecting how and what we produce. But remember, my ancestors were carving animals right here in this region before the arrival of Spaniards in the late 1500s. We were using only natural paint colors from fruit and vegetables, plants and tree bark, mud, and even insects. In my family we still use what we find around us to make our numbers and paint the wood of choice remains the branches of the copal tree. "

Tilcajete San Martín is located approximately 40 minutes from the city of Oaxaca on a road leading to the towns of the state's complex Pacific, including one of the oldest ports, Puerto Escondido. Puerto Escondido is a hub for the export of coffee and other cash crops at the time Colonial, but it is now a popular resort for tourists from Mexico and abroad. Many travelers combine their holiday "sun and sand, with a visit to Oaxaca, a World Heritage site by UNESCO, in search of unique pieces of folk art as dance masks, pottery and figurines Clay, carpets and tapestries and antiques from the colonial period forward. And, of course, are the pre-Hispanic ruins, galleries, churches Dominican impressive, museums, and renowned cuisine of Oaxaca.

"My ancestors used a schedule of 20 days" Jacobo continues, "and each day was represented by a different creature. Every Zapotec person had an animal that has a connection, and each animal has certain characteristics that go to the person. For example, the jaguar represents power and resistance break, the frog is characterized by honesty and openness, the coyote careful observation, the turtle always a troublemaker prone to breaking the rules, the power of the eagle technical and strategic and so on. My people used to carve figures of just these 20 animals. They began whittling as little chance for people to stay in niche revered at home, or worn around the neck as amulets. As larger-engraved their children to use as toys. "

After much sampling, an almost forgotten story emerges of the use of decoys and other wooden materials. Jacobo reveals: "My people use a variety of methods to attract different types of game, but for hunting birds of prey, rabbits and deer, yes, sometimes used decoys. A painted wooden snake would be placed on the ground in an area where ants had trampled the grass snake if the bait could easily be considered by the eagles. To hunt rabbit, my ancestors include a rabbit skin glue to the end of a straw hat, and the other tail end of another his face painted. For deer, a deer torso with real wood raw horns are placed in the high forest. Thus, the sculpture has been historically important for our people, not only totemic and related reasons, but was directly linked to our survival. Legend All written documents the time of conquest, not only locally, confirm the importance of woodcarving. "

"But look what is now the sculpture. While in my family who continue to use natural paints, and even save our totems, we transformed a simple but important and symbolic tradition into something very different. In our nation today is cutting more than 20 animals of the request header. More importantly, we can make our heritage better understood and appreciated by the world. In our workshop, our painting depicts designs and representations our culture … friezes of ancient ruins Mitla, symbols representing waves, mountains and fertility, the totems and other metaphors of our culture, past and present. "

In fact, the world took note. Jacobo work is featured in the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Art, Chicago Mexico, and elsewhere on the continent and abroad also in museums, art schools and galleries. James regularly through U.S. promoting Oaxacan folk art and its legacy Zapotec, teaching in a variety of places of education, ranging from primary schools to university departments of Fine Arts, and honor as a speaker at the inauguration of the exhibition art.

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A visit to the workshop, visited Angeles by a large earthen pot bumpy road close one end of town, offers the opportunity to learn about this extraordinary skill set, Jacobo, Maria — an excellent painter in his own right — and about two dozen other family members who produce some of the first class size across in the continent.

The men do most of the size, while women do most of the paint, but the tasks are certainly not exclusively based on sex. The sculpture is made with non – power tools manuals such as machetes, scissors and knives. The only time a more sophisticated tool is used when a chainsaw is used to cut a branch and the base level for a number proposed.

Except when special order is received, the woodworkers in the family are given artistic license to sculpt the figure they want. A tree stump "to speak" to one of these specialists and provide inspiration for the creation of a particular animal: the shape, thickness, and bends and twists in the room come alive. After the bark is removed, a detailed plan is established, the definition of the image with more clarity and retail. The sculpture seriously begins.

"From the female copal tree we are able to make figures from a single piece of wood, often very large and complex. The wood is soft and easy to work. The male tree is harder, and branches tend to be smaller and a bit sensitive, so use it to animals we encountered in the process. "

Sculpture takes up only one month, sometimes more. The figure is set to dry for 10 months, according to its overall size and thickness. Because properties resin, and semi-tropical climate of Oaxaca, the wood is susceptible to termite infestation. Therefore, during the drying process of the piece is dipped in a mixture of gasoline / insecticide for several hours. As extra insurance, is then placed in an oven, just in If eggs have evaded extermination. "All our parts are guaranteed to never have a termite problem," said James.

Since the figures are fashionable, while the wood is green and more easily achievable, by separating the wood during drying. "There are some members of my family, whose main task is to fill the cracks before the painting begins. "For this work, you must use wooden blocks and a glue mixture of sawdust. But even these strips of wood and sawdust have been cured. "We are proud of our work, and do not have a problem with one of our buyers, if someone increased from $ 20 or $ 2,000. "

In almost all cases in Los Angeles studio, a person who carves and paints a portrait of the new left the hands of the sculptor, all rights of ownership are released, and another family member is responsible for the extension. painting. nephew Magdaleno explains: "Occasionally one of my cousins are coming to me saying:" What do you think of these colors or this kind of concept for the coyote, and I will give my feedback, it does not happen very often, and I am always satisfied with the result. For me, it's the way it is most important, and for whom painting is an image captured. "

One can not help but gasp at the genius of sculpture that goes into each piece: a starving dog scratching chips, and a bear with his paw into a honey pot, a snake constricting wincing jaguar, a winged horse on its hinds, a woman with long braided loops and the body of a armadillo or deer size for Mexican standards. There is something special every arrest made: the movement still as good and realistic posture of fantasy or family are a surprising line with our popular characterization. However, the picture is far from familiar. No color is not proven and the complexity and variation in design is remarkable.

Theories abound on the beginning of today's event tradition. Some say that because the mushrooms are from this part of Mexico, drug-induced revelations caused some imagination to wander, ultimately becoming expressed in their carvings. The best explanation is that the knowledge of colors, paper mache or as large alebrijes dragon forms originating in the State of Mexico, eventually filtered down to Oaxaca, and were the inspiration for parents of woodcarvings contemporary painting. "You know, it is not necessary to refer to what we alebrijes, because that the older generation Mexicans and collectors of folk art truly, have been developed alebrijes near DF (Distrito Federal, or Mexico City, the capital of the nation), and what we do is completely different. "

Jacobo demonstrates how his ancestors created natural paints, historically used to dye clothing, painting buildings, and solemnly on face and body decoration used for rites of passage, festivals, prayer and sometimes significant. Today, its main use, at least in the family of James, is to paint the sculptures. Explain, using a machete and a tree trunk how to cut inside reddish Party bark male copal, allows it to dry, then toasts and grinds it: "This is a main base that we use, which allows us to create a range of colors, tones and shades. Just watch. "

With his hands as palettes, Jacobo begins by placing a small amount cortex of powder in one hand, squeeze the juice of a lemon, creating a brown, then placed in a white wooden owl. "Yes, the owl is also one of our sacred animals, the great healer, quiet and humble. "He revealed:" Now, over time, and in the sun, this color will change or disappear and be absorbed in the wood. So, what our ancestors learned to do was take the dried sap of the tree copal and warm with honey. The resulting liquid is mixed with paint, color change a little, see, becomes a dark orange … but also acts as a mordant to make the color permanent, and a little brighter. Add powder and lime, and the color turns black. With the addition of baking soda and lemon juice, it becomes dark yellow, and with more chemistry, almost miraculously becomes magenta. A new database is started, crushed pomegranate seeds. magic pink powder turns green with the most dust limestone. Mixed with the magenta, it becomes blue. With the addition of zinc becomes gray, and with more zinc, white. tree Indigo Blue, Indigo is modified with the addition of bicarbonate, zinc, lemon juice or lime mineral powder. corn mold delicacy Culinary black tights known as thrush, when fermented and then returns ocher powder. The red of the dried and crushed insects minutes of the mealybug, which feeds on its host nopal, turns orange juice with the addition of a whole number of fruit acids.

Demonstration James concluded by asking: "What is your favorite animal, after which a rabbit finger paints the rainbow of colors in their hands, as Alice could imagine.

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With about 150 families now producing painted figures wood in these countries and a couple of small villages, the questions remain: What facilitated and drove more carvers to adopt the style of cards that use combinations bright colors, and how each of these people live alone in this art form?

As with other offices in the valleys central Oaxaca, their production has not always been the main source of livelihood for the population. Traditionally, crafts were a hobby or part time trade, beginning with very few products that are sold to passersby curious adventurer or traveler. In the case of the carpet near Teotitlán del Valle, trade routes that producers follow to make more sales in other regions of the state, and in some cases beyond. But the primary means survival of the family works the land and livestock on a small scale. And in the case of people of size, there has never been a more competitive wide, but San Martin Tilcajete embroidered shirts, blouses and dresses have a job very well received in the 1960s and 80s.

Change radical production and marketing of wooden carvings had its origins in the 1940s. The Pan American highway cut through the Sierra mountains Madre del Sur, come to Oaxaca, the opening of the northern region, including Mexico City and the border states. Until then Oaxaca was relatively isolated, despite a connecting railway. In the 1950s and early 60s Americans and Canadians were prospering from expansion of the post-war credit cards had been mailed to virtually everyone and spread the word of a new type vacation in a third world country, Mexico. Jet air travel facilitated the transformation. Women's movement meant more two income families, disposable income more travel. Mexicana Airlines and Oaxacan travel agents joined to begin offering package tours, which also facilitate tourism in the region.

The hippie movement of the 1960s and early 70s Oaxaca brought to the forefront of the alternative lifestyle with a multitude of young pop idols and their trip to Huautla Jiménez, then a small town in Oaxaca, eat hallucinogenic mushrooms to the now infamous healer María Sabina. American youth saw and bought the first generation of contemporary wood carvings.

In the 1980s, due to many factors, alebrijes Oaxaca was well established as a popular art, with the market continues to grow. The economic implication is that farmers and ranchers have been able to devote more time to sculpture and painting, and less time on the ground and markets its products to distributors and animals. With the opening a new toll from Mexico City to Oaxaca in 1995, access to the southern state became even easier and faster and safer. Well consciousness, travel writers are no longer able to warn tourists about the handling of roadblocks zigzag again, or cars overheating on the roads without secondary stations.

The futures market for art? While the curious visitor to a shore station of Oaxaca Puerto Escondido, or the more popular Huatulco, visit the capital and the studios of sculptors such as James, most do not. Over the next four years, a new route to the coast is open, reducing the time to travel by road at least one third. More sun lovers, visit Oaxaca, and marvel art Jacobo and Maria Angeles.

Since opening his studio in the family in 1996, no doubt, James and Mary have significantly raised the bar quality for other villagers who want depending on their success. With engravings on wood quality Oaxaca well established on the world stage, and access is no longer an obstacle, the challenge for others in San Martín Tilcajete is successful Angeles family through the production of quality and, to this day avoid.

A challenge for all carvers in the region is to ensure a continuous supply of copal to meet demand. A project spearheaded reforestation 15 years ago by the late master of contemporary Mexican art, Rodolfo Morales, continues through his Foundation. Los Angeles family with friends and other villagers spend the last Sunday of every July in the middle of the rainy season, planting, part of its effort to live sustainably: ensure a constant supply of raw materials, cutting branches to make characters that the tree continues to grow, reducing waste using wood chips and sawdust in repair work and any residual twigs and branches as firewood for cooking, and use sap and bark in paint production. "And you know," James recalls, "for generations we have been using SAP as incense soaked, cememonies primarily religious. Cutlers There is even the way Ocotlan recording their hand-forged leaves of a special ink made with the sap. Have you visited the Angel Aguilar Knives?

Collector premium, which can encourage the success of all efforts to support the growth and development of traditional Oaxacan wood carving, as it responds and advances our penchant for craftsmanship and obsession with quality fashion at hand. For the artisans of the region, apart from the obvious economically important part of maintaining their Zapotec heritage and illustrate the richness of culture to the world.

The workshop Jacobo and Maria Angeles is located on Calle Olvido # 9, San Martín Tilcajete, Ocotlan, Oaxaca (T: 951-524-9047, w: http://www.tilcajete.org E means angeles@tilcajete.org ).

About the Author

Alvin Starkman received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, thereafter embarking upon a career as a litigator until 2004. Alvin now resides in Oaxaca, where he writes, leads small group tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sites, is a consultant to film production companies, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ) .

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