Oaxacan Wood Carving

1. Oaxacan Wood Carving

2. Introduction Located in Southern Mexico Oaxaca is one of Mexico's largest states. Their culture is rich in tradition and over the past fifty years its folk art and traditions have become of much interest to the rest of the world. Oaxacan painted wood carvings have become a prized folk art. “Coyote” Aurora Sosa

4. History of Oaxacan Wood Carving The Oaxacan people are descendents of the ancient civilization known as the Zapotec Indians. The wood carving techniques and artistic capacity of the Zapotec Indians are legendry, honed over hundreds of generations. Zapotec Ruins

5. History of Oaxacan Wood Carving The Zapotec Indians have carved toys and masks for hundreds of years.

6. History of Oaxacan Wood Carving Modern Oaxacan wood carvings began about 50 years ago. Carvings range from angels, mermaids, dogs, chickens, and more. The sculptures are from the imaginations and superstitions of the carvers.

7. History of Oaxacan Wood Carving A man named Manuel Jimenez became famous for his modern Oaxacan wood carving. It was his work that was first noticed by traders and collectors of Folk Art. Instead of making them miniature toys he made much larger animals with more complicated designs. Art galleries and museums began to sell his work.

8. History of Oaxacan Wood Carving The road from rags to riches was not an easy one for Manuel Jimenez. He struggled for thirty-five years before making any money. Jimenez was the poorest peasant in his village. He went from job to job before he found a job carving masks to sell. His artwork now sells for thousands of dollars. Manuel Jimenez

9. Folk Art Folk Art is art made by people who have had little or no formal schooling in art. Folk artists usually make works of art from their culture. Art styles are handed down through many generations. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, metalwork, costumes, tools, and other everyday objects may all be examples of folk art.

10. Folk Art

11. Folk Art

12. Folk Art

13. People Of Oaxaca Located in Southern Mexico, Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s largest and poorest states.

14. People Of Oaxaca The Oaxacan people are poor farmers. Their staple crops are corn and beans. Most Oaxacans have no modern amenities. Few have plumbing or own cars.

15. People Of Oaxaca The Oaxacan Valley is home to about 200 carving families.

16. Making Oaxacan Wood Carvings Oaxacan wood carvings are hand made from Copal wood. There are many advantages to using this type of wood in carving. When copal wood is green it’s soft and easy to carve. The wood does not split easily nor does it absorb much paint. The wood also finishes off to a very smooth surface. A disadvantage of using this type of wood is its susceptibility to bugs. If the wood is not used in a matter of weeks bugs will have eaten it to dust.

17. Making Oaxacan Wood Carvings Machetes and pocket knives are used for carving the copal wood. The basic shape of a figure is carved in just a few days. The knives used for carvings must be sharpened daily.

18. Making Oaxacan Wood Carvings The creation of Oaxacan wood carvings is an entire family affair. Fathers and sons carve, mothers and daughters do the painting, and smaller children and elders sand the carvings.

19. Assessment What is the name of the people who make the wood carving found on this page? A. Cuban B. Oaxacan C. Aztecs

20. Assessment(2) The correct answer was B. Oaxacan. The carving on the right is known as an Oaxacan wood carving and was created by the Oaxacan people who live in southern Mexico.

21. Assessment What type of art are The Oaxacan wood carvings called? A. Folk Art B. Graphic Art C. Studio in Art

22. Assessment The correct answer was A. Folk Art. Folk Art is art made by people who have had little or no formal schooling in art. Folk artists usually make works of art from their culture.

23. Assessment What is the name of the tree that is used for Oaxacan wood carving? A. Spruce B. Pine C. Copal

24. Assessment The correct answer was C. Copal. Oaxacan wood carvings are hand made from copal wood which comes from the copal tree. The copal tree can be found in the area in and around the Oaxacan valley.

25. Assessment What word below can be used to best describe the color in Oaxacan wood sculptures? A. Bright B. Dull C. Monochromatic (shades of one color)

26. Assessment The correct answer was A. Bright. Carvers use bright colors to make their sculptures whimsical and exciting.

27. Assessment Who in the Oaxacan family creates these sculptures? A. Father B. The entire Family C. Woman of the Family

28. Assessment The correct answer was B. The Entire Family. The creation of Oaxacan wood carvings is an entire family affair. Fathers and sons carve, mothers and daughters do the painting, and smaller children and elders sand the carvings.

29. Gallery In these next few pages you will be exposed to a variety of different Oaxacan wood carvings by many different artists. Take the time to study the expressive gestures and whimsical decorations found on each Oaxacan carving. Eleazar Morales

30. Gallery “Spiney Frog” Bill Yearlos

31. Gallery “Deer” Bill Mendoza

32. Gallery “Frog” Jesus Melchor

33. Gallery “Butterfly” Meleslo Blas

34. Gallery “Armadillo” Billy Mendoza

35. Gallery “Cats” Ortocha Family

36. Gallery

37. Gallery “Deer” Anel Ranraal

38. Gallery “Horse” R.H.S.S.A

39. Gallery “Porcupine” Ortocha Family

40. Gallery “Armadillo” Luis Sosa

41. Project Now that you have learned about Oaxacan wood carving you are going to take what you have learned to create an Oaxacan inspired sculpture. Since the tools are not available to make a wood carving, newspaper and plaster will be used instead. Begin thinking about what type of animal you will make. It can be real or fantasy. Start by creating sketches of your ideas.