July 06, 2007, Charrerria, By Atención staff, Galería Casa Diana features six artists, Further—Artist Karen von Felten at Bellas Artes, Quetzalcoatl: The Eternal Sun

Banners announcing upcoming charreadas haven’t appeared yet, what with the heavy rains, but the two local charro teams, Charros del Santuario in Atotonilco and Charros de San Miguel will both be displaying their skills in this time-honored and beloved Mexican sport in the coming months.

Charrerria developed over the centuries following the Spanish conquest and the introduction of horses to the new world. The form that is still familiar—and quintessentially Mexican—today was born in the 19th century on vast cattle haciendas particularly in central and northern states, such as Guanajuato, Jalisco and Zacatecas. The horsemanship required to execute the important tasks of the charros such as branding, herding and roping cattle, became the basis for competition and enormous fiestas that brought people to the haciendas from many miles away. Music (mariachi particularly), food and other traditions grew out of these events; women participated as well and became known as escaramusas (which is a military tactic of attack and quick retreat). The costumes of both charros and escaramusas became elaborate and stylized, epitomizing Mexico in the eyes of the world; sombreros, rebozos and sarapes were all part of this special attire. In the 20th century, charrerria officially became a sport as the old haciendas had been shattered by the Revolution of 1910; the only way for the tradition to survive was through careful conservation by the leisure class. Of course, charrerria is the inspiration of the US rodeo, which also developed on vast cattle ranches before Texas and other states became part of the Union. Today, charrerria is still an active, if expensive, sport that draws enormous crowds and continues to symbolize Mexican culture and tradition.

A charreada is organized into nine parts called suertes and take place in arenas called lienzos. The first suerte is performed after an initial parade accompanied by music, and is called cala de caballo and tests the rider’s ability to control his horse. Next comes piales en el lienzo where three charros attempt to rope the hind legs of a horse.

The third suerte is called colas where charros have to be able to throw a bull to ground from his horse. The escaramusa is then conducted by teams of eight women executing precise exercises while riding side-saddle. The jineteo de toros follows and is perhaps the most famous; the charro has to ride a bull until it stops bucking. La terna requires charros to rope a calf around the neck, then another around the hind legs. The sixth suerte, called the jineteo de yeguas, involves riding a bronco. Next comes the roping of a mare by the front and hind legs, piales and manganas. The final suerte is known ominously as paso de la muerte and puts charros to the ultimate test: r
iding their horses bareback and then jumping onto a wild horse, which they have to ride until it stops bucking.

What began with Hernan Cortes and his tiny band of horses evolved into one of the most intricate, celebrated and challenging equestrian sports in the world: charrerria.

We are fortunate enough to be able to experience a wealth of this aspect of Mexican culture here in Guanajuato, which produces not only famous charros but also breeds the special horses required for the event (Rancho San Luis Gonzaga on the Salida a Queretaro is one of these breeding ranches). So, prepare for the spectacle and fiesta, and come to Atotonilco on September 9 to watch charros and escaramusas display their hard-won talents in the lienzo.

Galería Casa Diana features six artists

Galería Casa Diana is featuring recent works by Maria Olga Garcia Huidobro, Carmen Gutiérez, Miguel Ángel Morales and Pedro Friedeberg, as well as introducing two photographers from Oaxaca: Yolanda Andrade, and Victor Echeverria.

Maria Olga Garcia Huidobro, Chilean sculptress, presents her fabulous wire mesh sculptures. Her superb handling of this difficult medium leaves no doubt as to her mastership in working the human form, whether single, double or triple figures, dressed or undressed her work has a huge appeal for it sensuality and beauty. Carmen Gutiérez presents a series of magical realism paintings of large human figures presented in mixed media using extremely vivid colours and a million spirals, which categorize her work. Pedro Friedeberg, renowned surrealist, presents several pieces of furniture art, including the hand chair, found in the decorative section of the Louvre. Yolanda Andrade, Oaxacan photographer presents in her work the everyday “Kitsch” as a space full of optimism, where one feels the full impact of the “medium of colour.” In Victor Echeverria’s work we are taken outside of reality into a poetic world full of charm and timelessness. It’s a polychromatic vision, where he utilizes his skills of both a photograp
her and a painter. Miguel Ángel Morales, well known for his store ensemble sculptures, paintings of oxidized metal and cement present a new sense where we find a stronger emphasis on colour. His textures and minimalist simplicity make him one of the gallery’s most popular artists.

This show will hang until August 1. The Gallery’s hours are 10-2 and 4-1, Sundays 11-2. To make an appointment outside these hours, call (415) 152-0885.

Work by Karen von Felten is featured in the exhibition “Further,” which opened June 29 in the Sala de Arte Mexicano at Bellas Artes. The versatile artist presents drawings, paintings and prints, many inspired by local sites such as the Parque Landeta and Charco del Ingenio, above the city of San Miguel de Allende.

A long time resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, von Felten has visited and lived in San Miguel for increasingly extended periods of time, finding inspiration in the light and ambiance of this city.

“Further” expands upon von Felten’s 2004 exhibition “Suspensions” at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California. Several footbridges in the Parque Landeta serve as subject matter, both literally and metaphorically. Working in a wide variety of media, von Felten uses scale to draw the viewer into vertiginous spaces, full of shadows, with broad sweeps across water into the distance. Smaller works, monotypes and etchings, invite the viewer into more intimate and detailed spaces. New works depicting ribbons, ropes, and knots such as “Blue Rope” (2007) extract some of the elements of the bridges and landscape as the artist distills imagery down to essential forms.

“Further” opened June 29 and the exhibition continues through August 5. Bellas Artes is located at Hernández Macías, No. 75, Centro Histórico.

A history of the mural

A first visit to the Sala Quetzal in the Biblioteca Pública is enthralling, mesmerizing and quite overwhelming. There is so much to absorb that spinning around seems the only approach. But the mural tells a story, a clear cosmogony in 12 panels.

We will present this narrative along with the relevant images over the next weeks in an effort to enhance understanding and enjoyment of this spectacular mural.

Atención staff

Quetzalcoatl, the eternal sun, plumed serpent, has as his mission the creation of man. To fulfill it, he descends to the underworld, confronts the gods of night, and rescues the bones of the ancestors. Grinding them together with the seed of maiz and other ingredients, he achieves the miraculous task desired by the gods: he creates a human being.

This man, called Mazehual, is always associated with corn and represents humanity. The mazehual child who is crowned by a triangle and a trapezoid, symbols of Quetzalcoatl, ascends to the summit with his arms open, grateful to the gods.

In the ancient town of Tula there were continuous celebrations to record this divine apparition in the creation of humankind. The ceremonies were accompanied by masks, rituals, dances, worship and prayers. Golden trumpets, the symbol of light and wisdom, sounded the prayers that are elevated from the heart of men to the heavens. The animals associated with night, like turkeys, dogs and lizards, bonded with Quetzalcoatl’s twin named Xolotl.

Quetzalcoatl, after leaving us the arts and his wisdom, had to abandon Tula, his beloved and peaceful kingdom. He set his ship aflame, sailed to the Gulf of Mexico and disappeared into the East It was then that he became an eternal being, the planet Venus, the Morning Star.

Quetzalcoatl in his open arms carries a flower which brings to life the sacred hummingbird and a serpent that symbolizes the circle of life, a circle that never ends. His breastplate is always a snail, the spiral that embodies the growth of humankind.

In the pre-Hispanic world, the pyramid was one of the most important geometric elements because it was linked to the mountains. It is the triangle that nears heaven, the divine.

Under the pyramid, we find the most important activities, such as magic, the production of pulque, herbal medicine, the war where warriors carry and produce arms of flint and obsidian to confront unknown foes.

The women, working with cotton, make textiles that recreate flora and fauna. Women are also symbols of fertility and show us the products of the land. The priestess, wise and godlike, is expert in herbal healing.

Each day had a regent god, mythologized with totem animals such as the ocelot, the jaguar, the eagle and the other most representative animals of Mesoamerica. In the pyramid 20 seated figures appear with animal visages that relate to the days of the month, which had 20 days, the sum of our fingers and toes.

The pyramid is also a symbol of spiritual growth, of Calmecac, where through the wisdom of the elders, a new generation acquires sacred knowledge.