CasaDeMataOrtiz

See "ABOUT US" for info on Juan Quezada & the Mata Ortiz art movement.

My wife was in the kitchen and couldn’t see the olla on the floor.  She blushed a little; “do go on” she said.  I quickly whisked the pot away.

On my last trip to the village I had the distinct honor of residing with Nicolas and his lovely wife Gloria in Casas Grandes.  It was actually the first time I had met Nicolas.  After a bit of searching I found his house to have a look at his pottery.  Since he had no finished pieces, he offered to accompany me to his son Leonel’s home. 

In transit he asked me where I was staying.  I had to explain to him that I had not been able to make my usual connections for a room yet.  Nicolas graciously invited me to stay at his home, and assured me his wife would agree.  I couldn’t refuse.  “This is your own home” he often insisted.

During that week I was privileged to become acquainted with Nicolas and Gloria.  Please indulge me while I convey a few of my observations.

First of all, I don’t think you will ever meet two finer human beings.  The friendship they offer and their human warmth and kindness are absolutely genuine.  I know that some of my readers have known them for many years and are shaking their heads in agreement.  On two occasions I tried to offer payment for dinner (Gloria is an exceptional cook).  On both occasions they refused.  Their hospitality was not for sale, and Gloria held nothing back to see that each meal was special, and that I was comfortable.

On one occasion Gloria looked across the table at me perceiving that I was missing my wife and family in Idaho.  The lines in her forehead deepened and her eyes squinted a bit showing sympathetic pain as she said in a caring, maternal tone “Being alone is such a hard thing”.

During one quiet time alone with Nicolas, now 71, he told me of his mother’s tragic death 16 years ago.  She was killed in an auto accident.  “From that time on”, he confided, “I quit two habits.  Drinking… and driving.  Why even take the slightest chance of killing an innocent person, or myself”.  Nicholas wasn’t kidding.  He neither drinks, nor drives.

We retired each night at about 8:00 pm, and Nicolas was up each morning at 3:00.  He fixes a cup of coffee, and takes it into his workshop to begin painting in the quiet of the very early morning while “my eyes are fresh from a good night’s sleep”.

After a morning in Mata Ortiz, I drove up to my host’s house about mid day.  I was surprised to see a lot of his family and friends.  Nicolas was cooking about 10 pounds of beef knuckles in a homemade giant outdoor fryer.  After the meat was good and brown, most of the sizzling grease was removed and Gloria brought out the red chili which had been processed in a blender with garlic.  The liquid chili sauce was carefully poured into the hot sizzling meat for about 15 minutes of further cooking.  We ate bowls of chile colorado with a bountiful supply of those super fresh tortillas you can only find in Mexico.

In the relaxed aftermath of this incredible feast, I asked Nicolas if it was a holiday.  “No” he said, “we just felt like having chile Colorado”

After taking some plates of food to a few of his neighbors he explained that some of the non-potters don’t always have enough money for food.  “But don’t worry, there’s plenty left over, and chile Colorado del Segundo dia” (of the second day) “is always better than the first”.

No wonder I’m looking forward to my upcoming trip.

Always,

Bill Perry

Have you seen Macarena Hernández's 2005 PBS Frontline World video piece entitled The Ballad of Juan Quezada?  I love Macarena's laid back style, and the way this piece saunters through the story of Juan, and the people who SO appreciate his art renaissance, they've written corridos (ballads) about him.

This piece also includes interview shots with Spencer MacCallum, the anthropologist and art historian who found Juan Quezada, and started the museum promotion ball rolling, and who is an occasional commenter on our blog (see COMMENTS link below).

Here is the PBS link:

Also, from the University of Arizona, a great link showing non-wheel traditional pottery construction, using Mata Ortiz pottery in its examples:

http://artswork.asu.edu/cec/les02/2_03_coil.htm

Thank you all so much for your comments!  Your comments are what make this forum come to life.  Just click below this or any submission below, where   “x comments” shows after the blog (“x” being the number of comments written so far).

If you’re considering (or even just dreaming) about going to Mata Ortiz this spring, consider being there on May 15^th – the day of San Isidro.

Religious processions march to the church in the Porvenir neighborhood.  Musicians strike up folk songs.  Odd percussion instruments resembling bows, in concert with gourd rattles electrify the air.  Indian costumed matachines dance to honor San Isidro, the patron saint of farmers and laborers. 

San Isidro the laborer (also called Isidore and Ysidro) was a farm worker born near Madrid in about 1070 and died on May 15, 1130.  He was canonized in 1622.  Stories have been handed down about how he attended mass every day before work.  When his employer checked on him after receiving complaints from fellow workers, the employer found an angel taking Isidro’s place, while Isidro was at prayer.  Other stories tell of angels working at each side of Isidro while he was plowing (that’s ploughing for our European readers). Because of these celestial helpers, Isidro was able to plow three times more in a day.

Matachines are traditional dancers popular especially in Northern Mexico, New Mexico and parts of Texas and Arizona.  Their dancing mimes represent the struggle of good and evil, with good prevailing.  The story used for presenting the struggle is that of Montezuma (good), and Hernan Cortez (evil), with the influence of the Indian mistress of Cortez, La Malinche (good). 

The costumes consist of red dresses adorned with sequins, beads, mirrors, and feathers for the girls.  The boys, also in red, wear aprons with rows of short rattling bamboo sticks.  They are topped with headdress consisting of bundled turkey and peacock feathers rising 20 or 30 inches from the head.  Their faces are covered with red bandanas.

Sacred, but mischievous clowns are dressed in odd clothes and masks.  For this celebration they carry teddy bears for the maypole dance (danza de Cintas or dance of the ribbons).  The clowns climb up the pole and attach their bears, which become offerings entwined in the ribbons attached to the top of the pole, as the dancers each hold to the free end of a ribbon, and encircle the pole to make an interlacing pattern from top to bottom.

The dancing, though festive, is serious business.  The dances are considered prayers, and are used to honor the occasion.  For a great picture of the matachines, see page 172 of Susan Lowell’s The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz.