Churches & High-schoolers.
What is the relationship between the site of the former monastery and church of Cuilapan and the site of Monte Alban? What existed on this site prior to the construction of the church? What are some of the noteworthy features of this church? Based on your reading of Parts I and II of The Colonial Art of Mexico, would you say this is a typical monastery plan?
Cuilapan is close to Monte Alban. Monte Alban was a very important place spiritually for the zapotec and mixtec, so the fact that Cuilapan has a church and Monte Alban was left untouched means that the conquistadors did not find Monte Alban. The church is an open-air church which is indicitive of the times. The natives were relunctant to the changes, especially if they were indoors, so some churches were open air to make things easier and they could hold more people. The church was never finished, though. It has all the typical things of a church in this area. The arcs, the alter, the little place where the priest lectured (back then). I did notice that this church has more Moroccan styles on the doors than some of the other churches.
What was your experience with the backstrap loom weavers in the Crespina family of Santo Tomas Jalieza? If you conducted an interview, what did you learn about the way they live and the place in which they live? How does weaving on a backstrap loom compare to weaving on the large floor loom Fidel Cruz uses to make rugs in Teotitlan del Valle?
It was a really great experience because we got to try some backstrap looming, ourselves. Then, when we interviewed the mother who served us a special drink. I forgot what its called. It seemed like it was supposed to be "chocolate" but was think, chalky, and didn't mix in well with the water. She told us that they drink it in the middle of the day to give themselves more strength. In their home, they live very simply and all work together to take care of chores which are self-assigned by everyone in the family. Backstrap looming is similar to floor looming in that they must shift the threads each time they pass the loom through the threads, but other than that, they are very different. Backstrap looming requires a lot of physical getting used to... your body has to get used to sitting in that position. Also, the artworks they can make are much smaller than what Fidel Cruz is able to make on his floor loom, but at the same time, the backstrap loomers can make artworks with even more details.
The traditional folks dances from the eight main regions of Oaxaca, performed at the Guelaguetza in the Camino Real, introduced us first to religious ritual dances and later to secular dances. How do the body positions and movements in the religious dances compare to those of the secular dances? What three characteristics of traditional Oaxacan dance would you consider most important to explain to an outsider in order to help them understand this art form?
Wow! There were some major differences between the religious dances and the secular dances. In the religious dances, there are no hand movements, only footwork. The footwork is more like shuffling and the women are always looking down while the men for the most part keep their hands behind their backs. There is no physical contact between the men and the women and everyone wears comfortable, flat shoes. Its very conservative, even in the colours of the clothing. The secular dances on the other hand are so much more lively and vibrant. The men and women are smiling, twirling, etc, etc. Its what you think of when you think of Mexican dance. :) I think an outsider watching the religious dance would be put off by the lack of facial expression, movement, and tempo. You would probably have to explain to them that the dance wasn't for enjoyment. It was purely for religious reasons.
Describe the churches and open air chapels visited on the Dominican route. Include the overall plans, façades, open air chapels, open air altars, sculptural decorations, and altar pieces if they still exist. Is this type of church design inviting to you?
The open air churches were very large. And things that usually would not be that big or noticeable were enlarged such as the entrance bowl for the holy water. They have the usual structure of a chapel with the alter in front and the rows of pews and etc. However, the sides of the chapel are open as if anyone or anything can walk in. There was one church we went to that had a separate open-air section where they used to perform mass so that it could be seen, even from far distance. The open-air church is not inviting to me because I have a different view of how to practice religion. I like the idea of being inside a very decorated, closed building because it makes everything that goes on there feel more sacred and separate from the dirty world outside the walls.
The churches were open air because it was hard to get the natives to accept a new religion. If the chapel was left open, they could come in and out as they pleased or even watch mass from far away. It would be inviting to me only because I would be able to see what was going on at a distance and gain some curiosity to go closer.
What was your experience with the Mixteco children? What did you learn about their lives and their connection to the place in which they live?
I had a great time with the kids. They were around my age, or atleast the ones I talked to were. They were graduating soon this summer and planned on going to a university. They are not that different than kids at my own highschool except for the fact that they seem to really want to learn while kids in my high school do not care as much. These kids have to walk to school and some must travel for over an hour everyday for school. They like the same things we like and make friends the same way and have boyfriends and they even know American artists such as Beyonce. I learned that some of them walk by foot to school and some take the bus. Some travel over an hour to get to school, which shows a lot of dedication to education. The kids are very connected to where they live because everytime I ask them what they might want to do after school, they always want to apply the lessons they learned in school to benefitting their homes. They don't want to move to the United States or go to Mexico City. They just want to stay where they've grown up and make it a better place.
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