Zúñiga and the Timeless Earth Mothers

When Francisco Zúñiga (1912-1998) was a boy in his native Costa Rica, he helped his wood-carver father with the religious statues. It was the doorway which led to his formal art education. He studied oil painting, stone sculpturing and mural painting. He won prizes and commissions early in his career.

At age 23, Zúñiga moved to Mexico for the opportunity to be a sculptural assistant and later a professor at La Esmeralda school. In Mexico, he became enchanted by the pre-Hispanic art he encountered at the Museum of Archeology, Mexico City. This led Zúñiga to an understanding of the native people's history and their stoic acceptance of life - especially the women.

"I begin with an emotion, an attitude, a movement caught by chance, a woman wrapped in thought - sitting, walking, or perhaps leading a child. Among the folk who surround me I find a variety of movements -slow, elegant, rhythmic - close to an animalistic vitality or an antique grace."

Zúñiga depicted the native women like the paleolithic Venus of Willendorf. They are abundant in size and stoic in nature with their bodies firmly anchored in the Earth. They are the ancient goddesses shown in the contemplation of life, community, and motherhood.

The images in this blog are a sampling of Zúñiga's paintings, lithographs, marbles, bronzes and sketches of the eternal woman - the work that made him famous.

Art... or Craft?

Artists often get into a discussion as to where the line is between art and crafts. This thought occurred to me as I looked at the papel picado (Spanish for "perforated" or "punched" paper) of Carmen Lomas Garza.

Lomas Garza is, by her definition, a Chicana artist. Born in Texas, she paints scenes of Mexican-Americans' everyday lives and special occasions. She made her decision to become an artist when she was 13. Over time, she has taught art, written books, and had countless exhibitions. Her qualifications as a painter are indisputable. She also makes papel picados.

If you've ever been to a Mexican-themed party or tavern, you may have noticed paper banners with cutouts on them. There is a very long folk tradition dating back to the Aztecs in making paper banners for religious celebrations.

Nowadays, the painstaking process involved in handmaking has been largely replaced by manufacturing. Lomas Garza is one of the artists who is keeping the finest examples of this ancient tradition alive.

As you look at the complexity of her papel picado keeping in mind that this is considered to be part of folk tradition, what do you think? Is it an ancient craft or is it an art?