Object photos (4): Mark LaFavor / Bii Daüü photos (2): Judy Arginteanu
Below: A tapestry by
Adrian Gomez, who learned
traditional weaving first and
now combines a variety of
techniques and materials for
his highly personal, often
dreamlike pieces.
W I D E W O R L D O F C R A F T
Above: Cacti paddles
host cochineal insects,
the source of a natural
dye used by Mariano
Sosa Martinez of the Bii
Dauii co-op in the weav-
ing village of Tcotitlan.
T h e M u s e o d e lo s P in to re s
O a x a q u e fio s r e c e n tly e x h ib ite d
R o se n d o P in a ch o ’s ceram ic
v e sse ls b arn a cle d w ith sea flora
and fau n a, and H u g o T o v a r ’s
sly , large -scale scu lp tu res o f
h ip , urban anim als m ade fro m
scrap m etal.
T h irty -y e a r-o ld L u is P a b lo ,
w h o s e w o o d carvin g s are g a in -
in g a fo llo w in g , also com es
fro m o u tsid e th e trad itio n al
artisan v illa g e s. “ I w a s ju st a k id
in O a x a c a ; I sa w th e
alebrijes
,
I lik e d th em , and I sta rted d o in g
th em . I w a s c o m p le te ly self-
ta u g h t in th e b e g in n in g .” A
co u sin w h o w o r k e d in a g a lle ry
p laced a fe w o f his item s in the
sh o p , and th e y sold . “ O n ce I
sta rted earn in g m o n e y , I started
lo o k in g at th e gran d m asters
[lik e M a rtin M e lc h o r] and m y
in te re st re a lly a w a k e n e d .”
H e o cca sio n a lly has had
tro u b le , h o w e v e r , p la y in g
j a
This candlcholdcr (left) and
tiny fiddle player (top) are
examples of
hojalata
,
decorative tinware.
Right: For artist Martina
Garcia, creating this palm
basket involves not only
weaving, but preparing
the palm fronds by hand
and dyeing them.
Above: The reddish
hues among these
recently dyed yarns
at the Bii Dauii co-op
are derived from
cochineal insects.
Other dye sources
include indigo (blue)
and
periedn
(yellow),
a marigold relative.
again st ty p e . S o m e p atron s
d o n ’t b e lie v e th at h e is th e a rtist
w h e n th e y fin ally m e e t h im , he
says. T h e y ’re e x p e c tin g “ an o ld
g u y w ith a g ra y m u stach e and
a so m b re ro .”
I t ’s p erh ap s a b it iro n ic,
sin ce th e
alebrije
trad itio n its e lf
is o f re la tiv e ly re c e n t vin ta g e ,
ab ou t 100 y e a rs. A n d e v e n
th o u gh th e c ra ft w a s n ’t h an d ed
d o w n to him th ro u g h th e g e n -
era tio n s, P ab lo is co n tin u in g
th e p ra ctice in his o w n fash ion :
H is p a rtn e r, R e n y C u rie l B a u -
tista , and his 13-year-old son ,
B en ja m in , are n o w p art o f th e
fa m ily b u siness.
+
Ju d y Arginteanu is a freelance
w riter and
A m e ric a n C ra ft r
copyeditor.
apr/may
11 american craft
in
