Mexican Folk Art & Paintings
Mexican folk art dates back approximately 2,000 years and is based on Mexico's deeply rooted traditions. The art echoes the creative ideas of a very diverse population and reflects the lives of the local people and their values.. According to "The Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art" exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the art emulates the collective work, deeds and beliefs of Mexicans as a nation.
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Types
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Pottery is one type of folk art that is popular with tourists. Mexican folk art takes many forms. Pottery, the most ancient of Mexican folk art, is also the most popular. People craft baskets for decoration, to use in everyday life and to sell to tourists. Toys such as dolls, human figurines, coin banks, pull toys, whistles and rattles add a whimsical flair to the folk art tradition. Mexican paintings emulate native Indian culture and also derive subject matter from myths and legends. Masks, used in ceremonial dances and celebrations, are among the many other types of folk art.
Materials
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Clay was a medium used widely in Mexican folk art. Mexican folk artists used many elements to create their works. Clay, wood, stone, textiles, metal, paper, leather and plant fibers are only some of the materials used. Since folk art echos Mexican history, the people native to ancient Mexico and Central America left items that reflected their world to their successors.
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Fine Art
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Francisco Toledo was a major player in the Oaxaca School of Mexican art. The Mexican state of Oaxaca is a center for folk art and fine art which has a "magic realism," according to the Indigo Arts Gallery website. In the paintings, people fly, objects are oddly-shaped and human forms exist in unusual positions on the canvas. As the poet Alberto Blanco suggests, the artists of Oaxaca seem to portray "another time and place. A space within another space. A time within another time."
Influences
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The Mayan traditions left an impression on the folk art of Mexico. Mexican folk art sprouted from the traditions of the Indians inhabiting the area such as the Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacán, Toltec, and Aztec tribes. After the Spanish conquest, the new settlers spread their culture throughout the land. During the period that the Spanish ruled Mexico, European and Muslim influences became apparent in the art. As a result of the trading between Spain and the Philippines, Asian culture also entered the blend.
Interesting Fact
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Donald Cordry's book became a popular resource for mask collectors. Donald and Dorothy Cordry were avid collectors of Mexican folk masks and helped to develop the popularity of collecting this art form. In 1980, Donald's book "Mexican Masks" became a key resource to serious mask collectors. Unfortunately, scholars and researchers have discovered that Cordry published many inaccuracies in his book which researchers have been working diligently to correct.
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References
- Photo Credit mexican art man image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com mexican bowl image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com clay art image by kastock from Fotolia.com picture frame corner image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com gravures maya image by rachid amrous-spleen from Fotolia.com Aztec Masks image by Infs from Fotolia.com
