Mexico celebrates a rich tradition of arte popular that reaches more than 2,000 years into the Mesoamerican past. Today in villages, towns, and cities throughout Mexico, people continue to fashion art that expresses their deeply rooted traditions. El Caballo: The Horse in Mexican Folk Art celebrates this enduring tradition through a variety of ceramics, metalwork, paper art, sculpture, and other works of art.
Using whatever materials are at hand, the artists fashion an array of utilitarian, ceremonial, and decorative objects indicative of the talent and broad variety of the folk arts of Mexico. Each object in this exhibition focuses on the horse, an animal that holds special prominence in Mexico. Since the introduction of the horse to Mexico by the Spanish, art related to equestrian activities has been produced in great variety.
The horse and rider theme is popular among Mexican folk artists; many of the heroes and saints of Mexico are portrayed on horseback. Mexico holds a unique place in the world of modern folk art. Its artisans produce some of the world’s most exciting and creative examples of art made for common people.
While most of these creations are regional, even local, in concept and design, they have in common a distinctly Mexican character that gives them a sense of national identity.
Using whatever materials are at hand, the artists fashion an array of utilitarian, ceremonial, and decorative objects indicative of the talent and broad variety of the folk arts of Mexico. Each object in this exhibition focuses on the horse, an animal that holds special prominence in Mexico. Since the introduction of the horse to Mexico by the Spanish, art related to equestrian activities has been produced in great variety.
The horse and rider theme is popular among Mexican folk artists; many of the heroes and saints of Mexico are portrayed on horseback. Mexico holds a unique place in the world of modern folk art. Its artisans produce some of the world’s most exciting and creative examples of art made for common people.
While most of these creations are regional, even local, in concept and design, they have in common a distinctly Mexican character that gives them a sense of national identity.
