The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

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For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo
The view from Corazon del Pueblo

The hereafter re me

My photo
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Musician, photographer, videographer, reporter, ex-officio teacher, now attempting to be a world traveler

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Creativity and connections

One of the best things art does is to stimulate the mind, which can go a myriad of directions almost simultaneously.

When I look at this installation of matates and manos, it makes me think of the women who used them.  of their lives, their stories.  Of the all the corn that was ground, all the tortillas.  Of the history of corn, which had its start here 10,000 years ago.  Of the precious water collected in all the depressions in the stone.  The years it must have taken to make those depressions.  The weight and heft of the pieces themselves.  The creatively of the artists who created the installation, their lives, their families, their stories... the mind races, just as it is supposed to.

This cactus with a base of zempasuchitls, marigolds, sat right next to the matates.  Again, a rush of thoughts....

2 comments:

Joan said...

That is beautiful. I love how they use marigolds in display at this time of year.

Where was this display?

La Cubanófila said...

I love those metates. I walk into that building, never buy anything, but just hang out with the metates in the patio. Always soothes me. Have a good trip "al norte".