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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 22, 2013 20:39:38 GMT
Friday evening I went to the Textile Museum of Oaxaca because it was celebrating its 5th anniversary. That was all I knew, so came upon the following exhibit in total innocence. I'll show it to you all the way I saw it, but later will also provide some elucidation, so stick around.  I skipped the inset videos on either side of the entrance to the T-shaped exhibition space because this drew me in ~ The group on the left side of the T delighted me ~ Digression for a brief rant ~~ Why use this kind of spot lighting in the ceiling of a museum? The viewer is either squinting into glare or peering into gloom. It's not camera-friendly either. So, over to the right side of the T, where there are more tall figures, but with their shanks exposed. A little light dawned for me here, as I recognize some of the clothes as those used by the zanqueros -- stilt dancers. These are exceptional versions of the costumes. The stilts themselves are works of art, something quite out of the ordinary. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 22, 2013 20:47:11 GMT
Let's take a closer look at the stilts ~ |
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 22, 2013 21:33:42 GMT
That was great. On my way out of that part of the museum I stopped to look at one of the videos, trying to snap enough pictures to figure out what it was ~  As I was clicking away, a lovely friendly woman came up to me and said that the video was on youtube, & in a longer version. She was the artist responsible for the exhibit and also the short one in the video -- Laura Anderson Barbata. Here is that video, featuring Ms. Anderson and the Brooklyn Jumbies ~ On the other wall was a video featuring the Zancudos of Zaachila along with the Brooklyn Jumbies. Their name is a play on words: zanqueros = people who use stilts (zancos) >> zancudos = mosquitos. (for views of Zaachila, put its name into the search engine of this forum) Here is how the collaboration between the Jumbies and the Zancudos came about ~ And the finished product. Yes, some of those women are burly -- that's because the Zancudos are all men. ~ Please stay tuned. There is more to come ~ |
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 23, 2013 2:31:59 GMT
On to a small room nearby, which contained a table covered with these fabulous alebrijes -- stiltwalker alebrijes ~ Standing in a room full of adorably tempting objects, I thought it wouldn't be too cool to rummage in my purse for something to use for showing size, so stuck my hand in. I have an average-sized woman's hand ~ Here -- I made a little video slide show so you can see them on the march ~ There were videos in this room showing the various artisans who created the fancy stilts. This man is describing the problems of making the ones in the last picture of reply #1 ~  An alcove displayed this costume, which I think belongs to the jumbies. Several of these straw costumes are in the video of the jumbies in Zaachila ~ And then on to another small space with a mask and some stilts. The mask is also in the Zaachila video. Note that the zanquero is in the stilts, not simply on them. No jumping to safety if he loses his balance ~ |
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 23, 2013 2:50:09 GMT
One last room to see, with this knockout of a dress and headpiece. My 2-D camera couldn't capture the pictures on the wall, which were sophisticated versions of those 3-D rings we used to get from gumball machines. Back outside, in a nice bit of serendipity, I run into this parade in service of helping homeless children ~ That's it! |
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Post by htmb on Apr 23, 2013 3:40:52 GMT
Bixa, what a beautifully done report featuring one of the most unusual displays I've seen here at AnyPort! This is going to take some time to carefully comb through, but your photos are lovely and show up the gorgeous textiles and stilts very well.
I clicked on the link thinking I was going to find a story about Buford Pusser, but instead found this gorgeous and creative display. Who would have thought someone could make such an interesting exhibit featuring the trappings of stilt walkers!
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Post by mossie on Apr 23, 2013 7:31:25 GMT
Super report and pics. Thanks.
You can certainly find exotica at every turn, makes me realise what a dull grey place we have here
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Post by tod2 on Apr 23, 2013 12:17:09 GMT
That was superb Bixa! I was as taken with the first exhibition you headed for because of those long birds feathers. That has got to be some very exotic bird of paradise and I would love to know the name! The nearest bird I found was the Resplendant Quetzal from southern Mexico and Panama.
The variety of stilts and their decorations is fantastic. I can see the artists imagination going into wonderful and curious places!
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Post by mich64 on Apr 23, 2013 15:44:40 GMT
Fascinating...incredible fusion.
The fabrics are beautiful and the colours, stitching and weaving combinations are so vivid. I would be in awe to walk through this exhibit, eyes wide and mouth gaping open.
The stilts are simply amazing, the artisans who craft these have such creativity and imagination.
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Post by lugg on Apr 23, 2013 19:21:25 GMT
Note that the zanquero is in the stilts, not simply on them. No jumping to safety if he loses his balance
Yikes
Really interesting report with great photos. No ... please tell what the composition of the white flowers is. Was the first pic a zanquero costume too ?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2013 19:33:19 GMT
The freakish length of the trousers is a great idea since the whole point is to show textiles. The stilts are magnificent as well.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2013 12:20:20 GMT
Fabulous report Bixa.
I need to take some more time to savor it, there's so much cool stuff!!
The stilts are amazing!
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 25, 2013 2:45:35 GMT
Thank you all so much for the kind comments and interest. I'm delighted that others liked this event as much as I did. Who would have thought someone could make such an interesting exhibit featuring the trappings of stilt walkers! Ain't it the truth?! Looking at the videos of Laura Anderson working and creatively playing with others is awe-inspiring. She certainly pulled people from many other disciplines joyfully into her vision. Was the first pic a zanquero costume too ? Lugg, I'm not sure. There is a type of traditional clown figure here that wears a costume made of hundreds of strips of rags. However, looking at the straw jumbie costumes, it would seem that other cultures might have something similar. If you look at the very first picture after the "suits", on the left hand side you'll see another costume made of strips of cloth. That one is described in the museum brochure as a Oaxacan jumbie outfit. That and the fact that Laura Anderson creates many of the jumbie costumes makes me think that it's an artistic interpretation rather than a strictly traditional item. I think Tod is on the right track with guessing the long feathers in that costume are from this part of the world, although the headdress and costume might be pure fancy inspired by both African and pre-columbian roots. The variety of stilts and their decorations is fantastic. I can see the artists imagination going into wonderful and curious places! The stilts are simply amazing, the artisans who craft these have such creativity and imagination. Yes, those artists took their skills and applied them where they'd never gone before. For obvious reasons, the stilts are usually unadorned. Again, part of Anderson's art is her ability to inspire all these artists to to flex and expand on their arts. please tell what the composition of the white flowers is. Okay, but first some pictures I took at another exhibition back in January of 2012. It was showcasing high-level traditional crafts from the state of Oaxaca and these items might be by the same people who created the flowery stilts. If I hadn't seen (& been fooled by) the items below, I never would have guessed the composition of the white flowers on the stilts. It's wax! In the museum brochure, the artists credited for the wax stilts are all women (Petra Mendoz, Viviana Alavés, Guillermina Ruíz), but here are six photos of another artist in wax making candles for Day of the Dead. And a couple more links, which I hope you'll check out if you're as intrigued by this project as I am. I finally found a little more info in English, which includes some pictures. But this is the real jewel. The photo is by Stefan Falke & is from the book Transcommunality by Laura Anderson Barbata. Click on the the picture to see more dazzlers ~  |
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Post by lugg on Apr 25, 2013 5:47:29 GMT
I never would have guessed they were made of wax - very intricate and pretty. I would like to see more of the book, I especially like the perspective within the photo with the Oaxaca sign.
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Post by nycgirl on Apr 25, 2013 20:19:47 GMT
What a fun and interesting exhibition! I think my favorite piece is the dramatic peacock-like headdress.
I like the video of the Brooklyn Jumbies in the Financial District. I would have loved to run into them while out and about. My mouth would have been agape along with everyone else.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 30, 2013 4:13:39 GMT
Great feedback from you both -- thanks!
I meant to tell at some point about my first encounter with Mexican stiltwalkers, which was in the US, not here. Stilts were something I'd always associated with the circus, or maybe those small versions meant for kids. We were having a house built in south Texas, on the border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas Mexico. The sheetrock guys were also the painters and came over from Matamoros. The head man was a real perfectionist & kept telling us that they didn't nick walls because they used zancos. (pronounced sahncoes). We figured he was talking about some kind of scaffolding instead of ladders. But no -- they hung the sheetrock & painted on stilts!
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Post by htmb on May 1, 2013 4:14:52 GMT
I've only sheet rockers using stilts here. The first time was 1986 when we added an addition to our house. It was fascinating to watch them work because the stilts aren't covered with clothing.
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