A New Thread

There is an emergence of a new and contemporary thread that is interwoven with the traditional in Oaxaca.This fusion surfaces in wearable art, textiles,clothing, and the plastic arts.
Part of this new thread is to meet what is viewed as tourist demands. Traditional types of hand embroideries decorate nontraditional button down blouses. Some vendors emphasize the use of piel del angel (angel skin-the term used for polyester) in their traditional huipiles while others point out their use of algodon (cotton), seta (silk) and dyes from cochinilla and indigo.
Gustavo Fricke, a young architectural engineer from Mexico City, opened Black Box (www.la-blackbox.com) in May 2006.Gustavo's mission is to have a place "just for the art".He has an interesting mix of his own varied work which he sometimes collaborates with local artisans to actualize, work of local artists and cooperative projects.He has collaborated with students from the University of California in a project utilizing silkworm cocoons to make jewelry.Currently there is a group of work from an open artist call to April to work with materials found in the Mercado de Abastos on the edge of the city limits.The works ranged from pillows made from woven plastic shopping bags and fabric to lighting fixtures of brightly colored plastic buckets and Christmas lights.Of course, Black Box also features T-shirts emblazoned with political slogans,stencil graffiti and special mix music tapes.It's about as close to edgy as it gets.




Tienda Q- an upscale boutique in the heart of the city-features,among other beautiful pieces, streamlined cotton or silk huipiles machine embroidered with the poems of Natalia Toledo, in
both Spanish and Zapotec- an indigenous dialect.Natalia, an award winning poet who works in both languages, is the daughter of Francisco Toledo,painter and patron (saint) of the arts in Oaxaca.(www.oaxacatimes.com)


Silvia Suarez creates ropa atipica .The designer recycles and reconstructions huipiles and rebozos (shawls) and creates newer,more contemporary forms such as bustiers, halter dresses, handbags.This reinvention has turned into a popular trend that I saw throughout many of the younger retail spaces.



When I first came to Oaxaca over fifteen years ago,ropa tipica was worn mostly by the women who came in from surrounding villages to buy or sell in the mercados. Few locals and even fewer ex - pats worn huipiles.
This past month I was keenly aware of the large number of women, both local and foreign, using some form of ropa tipicia- more than I had ever seen before! I commented on this to a Oxacaquena friend of mine who said that she noticed it as well.She has always worn huipiles and was one of perhaps two others at her job who did the same.Now, she told me, nearly ALL of the women in her office wear some form of ropa tipica.

I had a lengthy conversation with a gentleman who works in a beautiful colonial structure that houses the work of 70 indigenous families from the state of Oaxaca.More than half of this space is filled with textiles: ropa tipica, huipiles, tablecloths,accessories.He spoke eloquently about the relationship of his people-the indigenous-to the earth,to their communities, to their families, to their culture.
He told me :
"You cannot take write and document to conserve and preserve culture. You cannot take photographs to conserve and preserve culture.Our history is an oral history.To conserve and preserve culture, you must live it."

Guelaguetza Popular:Monday

The Guelguetza Popular was held in the open field stadium of the technological school.Folding chairs lined the field.Gates opened at 10 am and soon thereafter, both the field and grandstands were full of people- standing room only!
The performers arrived,along with their bandas de musicas and the festivities began!
There was an astounding array of brilliant traditional costume,lively music and incredible dance and footwork - and sometimes a live animal or two such as a turkey dressed with the items for a shamanic ceremony such as ribbons and cigarettes! Each puebla's performance told a different tale of their history,myths,everyday life and major life events such as marriage. You must remember that although some of the traditional dress is for special occasions ,much of it is still worn everyday.Regions and villages use distinct symbols,colors,fibers and methods of weaving.Backstrap looms are still employed, to weave fabric , hand embroideries still decorate and identify pride of place.For example, the women of the Istmo coastal region are known for their festive, colorful, floral embroidered velvet huipiles (rectangular fabric folded,sewn up the sides, center hole to pull over the head) and skirts trimmed with elaborate lace.(Frida Kahlo often wore this costume).
After each performance, the group had canastas (baskets) of fruits, vegetables,bread and sweets that they threw out to the crowd.It created utter chaos!!!
Speeches punctuated the performances- some explained the traditional dress of the puebla, others reminded all present that we laugh and dance today because we do not know what tomorrow may bring.Still others reminded everyone that this event was for the PEOPLE of Oaxaca.

Tradition and Woven Identity:Calenda:Guelaguetza Popular

The last two Mondays in Oaxaca are a very special time- it is the time of the Guelaguetza.The Guelaguetza was originally a preHispanic gathering of people from all seven regions of the state of Oaxaca to converge on hill outside of this city and give thanks and offerings to the gods for the past years crops and hope for the coming year.
This tradition continues but has become more of a government sponsored,expensive tourist attraction that draws people from all over the world . Delegations are sent from the seven regions and they perform traditional dance in ropa tipica (traditional dress.)
The annual teacher's strike of 2006 escalated into a more complicated conflict.The governor of Oaxaca had been misappropriating school funds for political campaigns.The teachers were demanding his resignation.The governor retaliated by dropping tear gas bombs on the teachers in the zocalo in the middle of the night.The following eight months saw Oaxaca torn apart and human rights issues both disregarded and profoundly defended- a very complicated situation.During this time the governor canceled the 2006 Guelagetza, a dramatic blow to tourism.However, the teachers had joined forces with a newly formed group- APPO (loosely translated and interpreted: The Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca- a group formed to promote popular opinion and to help the general population).From this union was born the Guelagetza Popular- an event for the people, free of charge.
Before a fiesta, it is traditional to send out a calenda, an announcement in the form of a parade,throughout the village or city. There are homemade cuetes (fireworks) that are shot into the sky as a banda de musica plays traditional songs and monos,large papier mache figures on cane frames with men inside,dance in the streets along with women in traditional dress with canastas (baskets) of flowers balanced on their heads and anyone who cares to participate.As my son was born in Oaxaca, we have a lot of family here and they offered to take me to this calenda,the Sunday before the Guelaguetza Popular.
We met with the calenda several miles outside of the city ,in a very old neighborhood called Xochimilco.There were young boys sitting on a wall
are from Zaachila, a village right outside of the city.They were tyeing on their amazing homemade stilts which they walked and danced on throughout the entire day,up and down hills,on potholed and cobblestoned streets.There were political slogans and chants as we marched through the major highway and then onto a serpentine route through town and into the zocalo.Everywhere, young and old, women and men, native and extranjero (foreigner) could be seen
in various forms of ropa typica.Various delegations danced People lined the streets,cheered,threw confetti and joined us.
It was loud,colorful, joyful and lively!

Conserving the Past,Preserving the Future: Museo Textil de Oaxaca

This past April, Museo Textil de Oaxaca opened- the ONLY museum completely focused on textiles in all of Mexico (www.museotextildeoaxaca.org.mx). Housed in a beautifully renovated colonial structure, this museum,like many in Oaxaca is free will donations admission.There is a gift shop that features beautiful handmade rebozos (shawls) of silk, naturally dyed textiles and felted wool pieces.On the second floor is an extensive research library with housed pieces of textiles for closer study- this is also open to the public.
The current exhibition is :From Mitla to Sumatra: the art of the woven fret , a look at the significance of this woven image and it's thread throughout history and cultures. Included are both historic and contemporary pieces in varying textile pieces: costume, rugs,utilitarian objects.The objects are simply displayed,costumes are creatively exhibited on mannequins made of twisted,recycled newspaper.I immediately became concerned about the newsprint touching the costumes but later learned that there was a protective layer of Tyvek between the two.A written guide in English is provided and there are future plans for audio tours to be incorporated.
Eric Chavez, son of my weaving workshop family, is currently working at the museum and was kind enough to give me a behind the scenes tour.
Eric works in Education and he has been focusing on workshops for children to introduce them to the world of textiles from recognizing different fibers, natural dyes and learning the basic principles of weaving.Eric has a mission to help preserve the weaving traditions that he has grown up with.He also has written a proposal to bring workshops to outlying villages.He is an exceptionally bright young man with a heartfelt concern for the textile traditions that he sees fading around him.
I was introduced to the head of textile conservation Lic. Hector Manuel MenesesLozano.Hector is from Mexico City and has been with the museum for several months.Currently, he has six textile conservation interns from Mexico City working with him.I told him about the many fine textile schools and programs that we have in Philadelphia and expressed a hope that there could be a connection made with the museum in Oaxaca- he was very enthusiastic about the idea.He took me into the storage area where we spoke about different methods of conserving and preserving textiles and about my previous sabbatical experience at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the incredible costume and textile collection there.Hector showed me a very unique piece that he had recently restored and wrote a book about- a fragment of a late 18th. century huipile that had down feathers woven into it.As it was such a unique piece, he could only gather from other historic references that it was part of a wedding costume.With Eric's help, they had great difficulty finding anyone would could still spin thread as finely as was needed.
Currently there are about 4,000 objects in the museum's collection and there are renovations being made on another building for the foreseeable future need for extra storage space.
Hector told me there are tentative plan for the 2011 NATCC (North American Textile Conservation Conference) to be held here at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca.The next exhibition( the above pieces that are being worked are) is a look at animals in textiles.
I also had the opportunity to meet the museum's director, Lic. Ana Paula Fuentes Quintana, a very lively woman who managed to speak with me ,answer her cellphone and e-mail, all with great charm.
I was very grateful to Eric and everyone at the museum for their time and the opportunity to see behind the scenes.

Tapete: A Woven Dream

The last day of my workshop, I worked diligently to complete my tapete (rug). Throughout, Federico, Janet and I consulted on how much of this color, how much of that color- truly a work in progress!As I was nearing completion, Federico suddenly went to get a rug to show me an example of a little complicated design that he was
going to teach me,if I was interested.

I decided to use the vibrant flame colored yarn that we had dyed that week with the conchinilla.
I had developed a specific idea about my weaving- my color choices and their proportions and relationship developed into a story- the creation of our universe and a small tribute to Andrea Collins- Smith, an acquaintance who's journey of living with cancer had just ended (see www.punkrockmommy.org).
Starting at the core of the Earth is a black band that changes into the reds of the molten lava.Rising above are the warm,textured oranges of la tierra (the land) which meets the band of the yellow sun.The blue heavens rise and there are the vibrant gates to the entrance to the white heavens.
Federico helped me cut the tapete off of the loom and then showed me the traditional method of hand rolling and knotting fringes to securely finish off my piece.
The day ended with a comida of barbocoa de chivo (goat BBQ) with some of the tias (aunts) and tio (uncle) joining us.In Teotitlan, as in many other villages, Spanish is the second language.Here, Zapoteca is the first language.It has a lovely ssshhhsh sound, like falling water.The tias taught me a few words and decided we could set up an exchange- English/Zapotec.
I could not believe how much I had learned and accomplished in such a short time. The workshop was incredible on many levels beyond weaving- the opportunity to have creative and cultural exchange and really participate with a very knowledgeable, talented and warm family.The Chavez family could not have been more patient and encouraging.Everyone made sure to pass along compliments about my color choices, my ability to learn quickly,my "good" Spanish.They are brilliant maestros (teachers).
Thanks to Norma and the Chavez family,I've been bitten by the bug and hope to continue to "dance on the loom"!

Fiesta

The third day of my workshop was devoted to weaving. you can see the beautiful hand made wooden loom and retainer we used to keep the width even while I was weaving. By now, I was getting much faster at all processes- spinning the bobbin, passing the bobbin through the shed and checking that the tension was even.Federico reminded me to check that the selvage warps, heavier double cotton yarns, had enough tension.

A family that had been in communication with Norma stopped by to see the workshop.Federico gave them a demonstration on hand spinning the raw wool fiber into yarn- it took him minutes to obtain a substantial amount of yarn from a handful of raw wool.
I was especially taken by this rug- it is all natural wool, none of which has been dyed.There is an extraordinary range of grey in this piece.

This week was very special in Teotitlan.It was the week of one of their most important fiestas- Danza de la Pluma (Dance of the Feather). A large fair was set up by the church (which my son and Omar attended)and the dances took place in the church plaza (which I attended). Here there is an exchange of fruit,vegetables, cases of refrescos and cerveza (soft drinks and beer) between the local authorities and the dancers.What is left is distributed amongst the community.
A soft drizzle of rain started right before the dance and as you can see, the dancers had custom made plastic coverings for their elaborate feathered headdresses.

Part of what made this workshop so incredible was that I had the opportunity to engage with the family and learn about the culture from which this weaving is such an integral part of. In this village there are not only families of weavers but those who make and repair the looms and spin the yarns.This work is passed from generation to generation. Part of the newer generation have limited interest in this tradition - it is very laborious work and does not always pay the bills.Progress marches on...
The Chavez family was financially effected, like so many others, in the aftermath of September 11. They had been making production lots of Navajo design rugs for a company in New Mexico. That company's business was diminished and therefore the work dried up for the Chavez family.However, they are hard working and industrious. They have traveled to various museums and universities in the United States to give lectures and workshops.They have opened their taller (workshop) to an exchange of creativity of weaving and the use of natural dyes.

La Grana Conchinilla: The Little Red Bug

In preparation for my dyeing workshop, I read Amy Butler Greenfield's A Perfect Red: Empire,Espionage and the Quest for the Color of Desire. This is the fascinating story of the significance of the color red and cochinilla's (cochineal) important place in the history of the New World.
I had known that there was a revival of the use of cochinilla in painting and printmaking as well as fiber dyeing in Oaxaca and was looking forward to working with it.

The Chavez family uses many natural resources for dyeing their wool. Along with cochinilla, they also use indigo, pomegranate,marigolds,certain nuts and certain types of moss.We were going to work with cochinilla as well as indigo for my workshop.
For the purpose of the workshop demonstration, the family set up a small "lab" of twin gas burners and pots.For production ,they use larger pots heated by firewood.The cochinilla is ground by hand using a type of mortar and pestle.Large production quantities are ground with coffee grinders.
In order for the dye to adhere to the wool fiber and be colorfast, the wool was first go through the mordant process.A carefully measured mixture of alum and cream of tartar is used.













As the wool was soaking in this mixture, three shades of red were being prepared: pure cochinilla, cochinilla + lime juice = orange , cochinilla + bicarbonate = purple.
Once I wrung out the wool, we added it to the three different dye pots.The wool can be remove when the water runs clear from the fiber- all color has been absorbed.The results, 45 minutes later, were three very different colors!
With experimentation, the Chavez family had documented more that 90 different shades of cochinilla reds!
Next we prepared to use the indigo dye, which is much more labor intensive than the cochinilla.We were using sodium hydroxide along with the indigo for an instantaneous dye paste to be added to the water..Janet said her parents prefer to ferment the indigo in a clay pot.This takes about two weeks and the indigo needs to be checked often and covered with a cloth with small holes for minimum air circulation.Too much or too little oxygen can effect the color adversely.
Our indigo preparation, in the glass pitcher, was an amazing iridescent yellow at the bottom and turned to a rich iridescent blue at the top.Janet added this mixture to the water,slowly,with a syringe to keep the oxygen from been introduced too rapidly. I was told to carefully add the wool and not to stir but gently submerge the fiber.When Janet removed the wool, it was green!As it hit the air,it slowly turned a lovely shade of blue.This dye bath can be used 30 times- depending on the color of the natural wool and length of time in the bath, you achieve varying shades.Cochinilla and indigo are mixed together to create shades of purple.We used three different skeins of wool and achieved three different shades of blue.
All materials, even though natural, are expensive and dyeing this way is labor intensive with much trial and error.
Synthetic dyes are cheaper but so are their results.
I spoke later with Eric and he told me that he is trying to create a certification program for those who use natural dyes.He wants to create a logo that then could be used by the certified natural dyers to label their work.
Although I had great fun "playing" with the dyes, I obtained a greater appreciation for the labor involved at a production level.So many variables!The time of year the cochinilla is harvested, the water temperature, the amount of lime juice, the oxygen interaction with the indigo- it is truly an art and science!

Dancing on the Loom

Teotitlan del Valle is a weaving village about 30 minutes outside of Oaxaca.This village of weavers are known worldwide for their wool rugs.It is here that I took a four day intensive weaving and dyeing workshop with the Chavez Santiago family- four generations of weavers.
This workshop was arranged by a dynamic woman named Norma Hawthorne who is dedicated to preserving the weaving and dyeing traditions here. I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Norma during the first two days of my "Dancing on the Loom" workshop. She has an incredibly informative website : www.oaxacaculture.wordpress.com.- please check it out!
The Chavez taller (workshop) is in their home which creates a very welcome working environment.The day started with breakfast with the family, my maestros (teachers): father Federico,mother Dolores, daughter Janet and youngest son, Omar.The eldest son, Eric, now works for the new Museo Textil de Oaxaca. My 14 year old son, Sebastian, came along and learned yarn spinning from Omar, the family's 14 year old son who has been weaving since he was 8 years old.
Federico showed my their "showroom" of rugs that their family had woven.ALL rugs are 100% wool, all yarns have been colored with natural dyes.There is a range of work from the traditional designs (frets,snails-the Chavez"signature") to the more contemporary fusions(lizards,yin/yang symbols)-ALL exquisite.All of these rugs are woven on two harness,standing foot pedal looms- even the looms themselves are hand made!
We then went up to the second floor or what I called "Heaven"- here are skeins and skeins of the most incredible colored yarns that I had to choose from to create my rug-AMAZING!
After much playing with color and texture, my final choices were put in a canasta (basket) to take to the loom.Although I have taught textiles for twenty years, I have never had this experience of weaving on a loom.After seeing the family's work, I was a bit nervous, to say the least.However, everyone was so patient and kind, that I was able to relax and learn quite a bit.I do speak basic Spanish and when that failed,Janet, who is fluent in English, was quick to help me understand the instruction.
I first learned how to wind my own bobbin,which also included the proper way to set up and take off the large skeins of yarn.
We then went to the loom to discuss what I wanted to accomplish.Federico assured me that I could change my mind, change colors- to just love what I was using so that I could "weave from the heart".He warned me that I would go home and dream about my design(which I did!).
As the yarn is hand dyed and spun, there are variations in color and texture that bring another dimension to your work. It also means that you encounter knots and need to know the correct techniques to connect and continue the yarn.
As this was my first weaving attempt, I was focused more on theory and practice and working with color and texture instead of complicated design(out of my league).I was pleased with my first day's work that there was some visible progress on the loom.Federico assured me that I was a "very good student".
Our day ended with a lovely comida (main meal) with Norma and her husband,Stephen and the Chavez family.