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.

Click on an image to see it larger.
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, April 21, 2020

Still standing....

I thought I share a few more music stands or atriles.  These are all from almost twenty years ago, a much different time for the woodcarving villages.  Alebrijes, wooden figures, had been a worldwide phenomenon for almost twenty years.  All of that ended in 2006 and the subsequent collapse of the economy.  So I always think that these were created during the golden age of Oaxacan folkart.  This cobra, by master carver Claudio Ojeda of Arrazola, is two meters tall, weighs fifty kilos, and was created over many months of carving and painting.
The atrile, by Melchor Melchor fo SanMartin Tilcajete, and its wonderfully detailed rendition of the dancers from the guelaguetza, is a masterpiece.
The detail work is so fine and accurate.
The column is carved from a single piece of wood.
And three atriles from renown mask maker, Margarito Melchor of San Martin Tilcajete.
You can see his wild vision and sense of humor in these next two.
As are all of them, each music stand is wonderfully unique.
That was the fun of the entire project, just setting each artist free to do whatever they wished.
AND mañana... Maria Jimenez and her family's creations.  Her incredibly fine detailed painting is legendary.

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