2008 Woodie Awards
Rare Latin-American Artifacts Displayed in L.A.
Unique LACMA exhibit illustrates rare pieces of history.
David Stelzmuller
Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Entertainment
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This exhibition was an exciting challenge for the Los Angels County Museum of Arts to tackle because of the breadth of work; the paintings, sculpture, furniture, religious artifacts and the unique atmosphere fostered its creation. The rapid expansion and colonization of the Americas by Europeans created an insatiable demand for art later displayed both in the "New World" and abroad. The pieces on display also show the effect the highly integrated multi-racial atmosphere had upon the art in Latin America; as a result, much of the artwork has classical European influences, but displays the deep-seated spirit of the indigenous people that created this artwork.
The display does not pretend at any time to be an all-inclusive showing of Latin American art, something a museum would need to devote an entire building to. However, LACMA does create an excellent representation of the wide range of art created during the period.
While experiencing this exhibition you will encounter a number of unusual, but fascinating pieces of artwork. One of the galleries focuses entirely on paintings used as a document of record. A painting entitled, "Conquest and Pacification of Heathen Indians" was created to procure more support for the colonization effort from the Spanish Crown.
There is a legend painted into the upper left hand corner that describes the scenes in the painting identified by letter. Some of examples of the story telling accomplished by this painting include 'heathens' engaging in cannibalism, contrasted by other natives in another portion of the painting that are living in houses and attending a Christian church.
Another extremely captivating set of paintings from this documentation style is a type dubbed casta paintings. They are visual representations of multiracial unions in the "New World," one example being the blending of Spaniards and Indians that created Mestizo children.
The sculptures provide another fascinating point of reference for the convergence of cultures in Latin America during this period. The apocryphal gospels, dealing largely with stories of the Christ child and the Virgin Mary from childhood to adulthood, were extremely popular in what is now Guatemala.
This had a large influence on work done by artists coming from this area and can be seen in the sculpture, "Christ Child Crucified." This incredibly shocking and lifelike sculpture shows a baby Jesus crucified with tears running down his face; it illustrates a story in the bible when the Virgin Mary has a premonition of the suffering her son will face. The realism is created by gilding the wood before painting it and often artists from this region applied human hair, nails, teeth and eyelashes to complete the effect.
Pre-Columbian artists in Mexico made their influence felt with the convergence of materials used for art as the cultures continued to integrate. Europeans were dazzled by the feathered art they created including headdresses, cloaks, etc.
The Spaniards, particularly taken by this art, commissioned these artists to adapt their techniques to create bishop's miters and habits that ended up sent to Europe as lavish gifts for the church from the colonies. Considering the breadth and depth of this exhibition, it is recommend to take either a docent lead tour or pony up the $6 for a recorded audio tour of the show.
The recorded audio show is extremely informative and informs the guests about the many unique features of this art show that did not find their way into the wall texts or program. Many of the pieces on display are outside of their country of origin for the first time ever.
This exhibit is full of culture and history, and is certainly worth exploring, especially since it is located in Los Angeles, one of nation's largest cultural melting pots and is an opportunity not to be missed.
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