Arte Popular Mexicano: A Vanishing Master Class

This introduction to the masters of Mexican folk art is an initial overview of arte popular Mexicano and the first of several articles on the subject to be published by the Tribune.

MÓNICA PAULINA GONZÁLEZ PORTILLO Traditional Cucapá Pectoral, 1997 Pectoral of hand-strung chaquira beads Mexicali, Baja California	MANUEL JIMENEZ RAMIREZ Feline, 1997, wood & paint Arrazola, Oaxaca

Friend, when I am dead,
Make a cup from the clay I become.
And, if you remember me, drink from it.
Should your lips cling to the cup,
It will be but my earthy kiss.
Mexican Folk Song

Color, time, memories, myth, magic – these are Mexico.  Every traveler and resident fortunate enough to live in or visit Mexico has the opportunity to understand that everyday life in Mexico is adorned with art and that art and education is often the same thing especially when expressed in the vibrant folk art of this land.  Arte popular Mexicano, which is deeply rooted in the social, economic and cultural life of this country, fortunately resists the encroachment of technology and modernity.  Even with today’s pressure for mass replication, the best of Mexican folk art relies on an arduous process involving hands, eyes and imagination.  The result is unique pieces of work using colors, designs and skills that have been passed down for generations. 

For more than 2000 years, Mestizos and indigenous peoples have produced arte popular using essentially the same raw materials -- wood, clay, metals, textiles, leather and stone.  This art is both profane and whimsical.   It offers humor in the face of death and flights of fantasy in response to poverty.  Whatever its form or intention, it is art that has enduring vitality in that it represents the way Mexicans live, work, celebrate, even breathe.  To understand the creative capacity of the Mexican people, one need only appreciate arte popular.

A diverse land and people give rise to the great variety in Mexican folk art.  Mexico has almost 111 million people inhabiting 2 million square kilometers of diverse topography – deserts in the barren north, rain forests in the warm humid south, mountains in the interior and extensive coastlines result in raw materials from a variety of climates, soils and vegetation.

Folk art is produced by most of the 56 separate ethnic indigenous groups (about 10.5 million) and by many Mestizos who comprise about two-thirds of the population.  Cultural influences from the art of the Olmec, Toltec, Maya, Mixtec and Zapotec.  Their pre-Hispanic motifs and symbols are repeated today but often include European, Muslim and Asian influences brought to Mexico during Spanish domination from 1521 until 1821.  Spanish missionaries often played a prominent role in encouraging indigenous people to learn an art form but to imbue their work with their own culture and visual expressions.   This amalgam of influences combine to produce an extraordinary body of arte popular practiced by tens of thousands of Mexican artists whose intended audience is the average resident or tourist.  However, there are about 200 highly skilled masters scattered throughout Mexico whose work has garnered national and international recognition. They have consistently resisted private buyers and folk art dealers who suggest modifications in design or technique.

In some cases, masters have worked in isolation without assistants who might continue their distinctive work.   Scarcity and increasing costs of raw materials as well as the time required to produce work threatens the continuation of arte popular at a level of skill practiced by the masters. Fortunately, private institutions working with the government are collaborating with these masters to ensure that their techniques and skills will not vanish and that future generations will dedicate themselves to producing skillful folk art that reflects the cultural identity of Mexico.

For now, masters of arte popular work in their homes and tallers (workshops) in hundreds of villages and cities.  Occasionally, their output is limited to pieces used in community celebrations.  Others work full time producing museum-quality collectable pieces. From extraordinary ceramics produced by fifth generation potters in Tonala to exquisite painted wooden carvings from Oaxaca to hand-crafted sterling silver objects from Taxco, each highly valued piece shares artistic and technical mastery.

Future articles will focus on these masters as well as efforts to preserve this important artistic expression.

G.L. Auch is the Director of T. Fuller Fine Art and the co-owner of Caballito de Mar antiques.  You may reach her at the gallery, Corona 169, or by email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .