: Judith McLaughlin
: Sacred Feminine Sacred Images of the Southwest
: Rio Grande Books
: 9781936744626
: 1
: CHF 4.00
:
: Geschichte
: English
: 224
: kein Kopierschutz
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
This book examines the role of culture, religion, psychology, art, gender and history in the development of the New Mexican religious folk art form during the Colonial and Territorial Periods. It was an art that richly portrayed the feminine both in character and in spirit. From the time of the conquest in the mid-1500s, the territory was Spanish Catholic in tradition, laws, art and culture. In what was an isolated and barren land the settlers turned to their religion and eventually created a native, indigenous folk art that exemplified their faith and eased their loneliness and seclusion. The saints, carved and painted, became members of the family. Santos were the object of prayer. These saints held special places of honor in each Hispanic home usually upon an altar available for daily veneration. The saints preserved not only the faith but la famila. Sacred Feminine examines the role that culture, religion, sociology, art and gender played in the development of the religious Santero art, in particular, the images of women. Santero art beautifully portrayed the feminine both in nature and spirit. The Spanish loved the Virgin profoundly and fervently from the 12th century onward, within the Cult of Mary, in Spain and throughout Europe. This devotion reached its peak just before and during the discovery and conquest of the New World. The vecinos of New Mexico tolerated a harsh climate, isolation, poverty and separation for over 250 years before Anglo-American settlers entered the region. They had a history of utilizing their spirituality and creativity to help them withstand the circumstances they endured daily. This tradition of making iconic religious art was a work of faith, tied to the sacredness of the land and their surroundings. The images of women that were significant in this period are the focus of Sacred Feminine.

Introduction

The images of saints either in sculpture, painting or woodwork were utilized in New Mexican religious art to assist devoted Catholics in maintaining their faith. The inspiration for this sacred folk art was an expression of pious belief by the artists and the Catholic community. Through the generations the saints, orsantos, were created and produced by artists, known assanteros, or saint makers.Santeros createdsantos to sustain thevecinos, settlers, psychologically and spiritually in a hostile remote desert, far from their place of birth.1

Throughout the past 80-90 years there has been a great deal of investigation and research into the origins ofsantos and the artists who created them. The majority of the research has been concerned with the artistic methods, materials and the subjects of the artwork, the Catholic saints and Jesus Christ. In the twentieth century many excellent books and materials have been written that have identified and datedsantos and the work of thesanteros. The available research and data are extensive. Scholars have identified the work, attributed it to the individual artists and documented the methods, style, paints, brushes, wood and other materials used to create these holy icons.

This work in not an attempt to write a book about thesanteros as individual artists or to consider their particular style or methods. These areas have been well documented by Boyd, Steele, Worth, Awalt, Rhetts, Carrillo, Weigle, Frank, Gavin and others. Therefore, because there is so much previous research, this book will look atsanteros and their artwork from different perspectives. Consequently, this book will take into account various points of view, outside of, or beyond, the basic questions of technique, process or practice in making the art. The evaluation of the artists style, method and process are all valid perspectives, but I had many other questions I wished to explore about the images of female saints.

Throughout my research, many questions arose regarding the feminine representations ofsantos. In this work I sought to unravel some of the mystery surroundingsanteros and the female saints they created. I was interested in understanding the faith and perseverance of artists who worked in such stark and sparse environments creating such important sacred art. I was intrigued by the artist’s religious backgrounds and the way it influenced their art. I wanted to take into account the relevance of the psychological and sociological implications of their artwork in terms of the individual, community, church and associations such as thePenitentes. Furthermore, questions arose about how the Spanish culture and the Catholic Church predisposed the artists to create these religious images of women. Finally, I felt it was important to allow various disciplines and opinions to flavor the dialogue and help discover what roles women played as the subject, focus and theme of the art.

When examining the role that the images of women played in New Mexican religious artwork, it was important to take into consideration a number of factors. To have a comprehensive view of the feminine principle insantero art one must thoroughly explore the history of Medieval Spain, iconology as art, The Virgin Mary, the artists themselves and thePenitentes, a lay Catholic Brotherhood. Additionally, one must look at the Spanish Catholic Church with its liturgy, rituals and history in order to grasp the essential pieces of the art, history and culture of the Spanish American colonists and thesanteros of the Southwest.

The artwork of thesantero was grounded in their religious and spiritual beliefs, as well as, the Hispanic culture. ThePenitentes, a religious brotherhood of the Southwest, also had a heritage tied to Spain and the Church. Therefore any comprehensive examination of the work of thesantero and their female saints as subjects must look at the early Catholic Church, its rituals and ceremonies in order to unde