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| Martínez demonstrating the pedal loom at La Raza Galería Posada during May's Second Saturday, 2011 |
Oaxacan Textiles
From floor to ceiling, the main gallery of La Raza Galería
Posada was draped with colorful Zapotec tapestries by master weaver Sergio
Martínez. Stationed in a corner, Martínez demonstrated his skilled hand at the
pedal loom. He is a descendant from a long line of master weavers that
continues the family business in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca.
Zapotec textiles are the main commodity produced in the
Teotitlán region, gaining international fame in the 1930s and 40s. Local flora
and fauna provide the resources for dyes and thread. Originally woven with
ixtle (fibers extracted from the agave), wool has been the raw material of
choice since introduced by the Spanish.[1] Not only do local resources help
preserve the distinct characteristics of these textiles, but also the patrimony
of the designs. The exhibition displayed the array of vibrant color and
geometric patterns, demonstrating the distinct palette and structure that makes
each textile unique.
The production and international acclaim of Zapotec textiles
had both successes and contentious debates in a challenging market. In the 80s
and 90s, US southwestern merchants in response to the interior design boom in
Santa Fe sought the low-cost weavers of southern Mexico to produce northern
Native American designs.[2] This style is most recognized by the centralized
diamond as a popular motif. As anthropologist Warner Wood has noted, US
businessmen influenced the production in Teotitlán workshops “initially
creating new designs and overseeing the dyeing of wool into colors they [knew]
would sell well in the US Market. Eventually nearly every aspect of textile
production, from design creation to wool and yarn preparation and dyeing, would
come under their control, except for that actual work at the loom.” (Wood 139)
However, Wood continues, many Zapotec families have since adapted to the
flexibility of the market and took back the control of their production.
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| Martínez' interpretation of Mesoamerican pictorials and hieroglyphs |
The skill of the Teotitlán weavers include interpretations
of modern works of art to dynamic collaborations with contemporary artists.[3]
Sergio Martinez’ production is an example of the flexibility that is needed to
preserve his native tradition and fuel innovation. By founding outlets in both
Sacramento and Teotitlán, Martinez is in direct control of production and sale
of his work. The larger of his looms are in Teotitlán. Only one individual
works on a textile as each person has his or her own “hand.” Weaving is an
extensive technological procedure that by changing the hand at the weave, the result
may be tighter or looser and inevitably resulting in a warped product. However,
as the “tables turn,” the Oaxacan tradition is now threatened by low-cost
weavers in India. Martinez is not concerned, he has produced numerous designs
and their duplication does not bother him. He is ultimately a prolific artist
that has demonstrated his boundless creativity.
[1] Shasta Darlington, “Magic carpet: Tiny town’s textiles
work charm on market,” Business Mexico 5 (1995): 12-14.
[2] Warner Wood, “Flexible Production, Households, and
Fieldwork: Multisited Zapotec Weavers in the Era of Late Capitalism,”
Ethnology, 39 (2000): 133-148.
Sacramento Spirit
International visual and performing artist David Garibaldi,
also a Sacramento native, painted a mural last Second Saturday celebrating the May
3rd announcement that the NBA Kings will stay in Sacramento. In the span of
four hours, Garibaldi rendered portraits of Kings fans that were submitted to
him through social networks. Not only was Garibali enthused to support the fans
of Sacramento, he sought “to
show the diversity of the city.”
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| David Garibaldi creating the Be Heard mural during May's Second Saturday, 2011 |
In the Garibaldesque fashion, hip-hop and pop music echoed
throughout the grid and the crowds on the corner of J and 20th witnessed his
traffic stopping performance. Facing a black billboard, mounted on a basket
crane and equipped with a brush in both hands, Garibaldi swiftly formed the
faces of euphoric fans, while simultaneously controlling the banter of the
on-looking crowds.
Garibaldi is still quite young and already a successful
artist. He began his career with graffiti where he honed his skills of working
in large formats by utilizing one of the complex canvases available: the city.
His ability to create iconic images with energetic gusto has become his
signature style. Garibaldi has taken possession of a traditional art form, has challenged the canon and made it accessible to a wider audience.
