Book Description
This book serves as both an armchair guide for learning about and enjoying the lore of Oaxaca’s folk art, as well as a hands-on guide for those who plan to visit the region and develop their own folk art itineraries. A mother-daughter team introduces the spectrum of Oaxacan folk arts: ceramics, textiles, woodcarving, metal work, miniatures and toys, jewelry, candles, basketry and dried flower crafts. A chapter on the Day of the Dead highlights its profound influence on many of these classes of folk art. Celebrating the transmission of artistic traditions from generation to generation in some of the most talented artist families in Oaxaca, 87 outstanding artists belonging to 44 families are featured. Their works, crafted from natural materials, incorporate unique blends of indigenous myths with ancient patterns and techniques, many of which have been preserved for hundreds of years. Biographical and technical information is illustrated with over 500 glorious color photographs of the artists and their works. A useful resource section includes a list of shops and markets in Oaxaca City and 12 of its surrounding pueblos, maps locating the artists’ homes, family trees, and a glossary of frequently-used terms that apply to these folk arts.

About the Author
Arden and Anya Rothstein, mother and daughter, live in New York City. Arden is a psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist in private practice and a Faculty member at the NYU Psychoanalytic Institute, NYU Medical Center where she is also a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry. Anya is a high school student at the Poly-Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York whose hobby is photography. In 1998 Arden took her family to Oaxaca to share beloved memories of three teenage summers spent there forty years earlier. Her love for and fascination with the area -- especially its folk artist families -- were rekindled. Intrigued by visiting pueblos and meeting artists in their homes, Anya (almost exactly the age at which Arden first traveled to Oaxaca) joins in preserving its artistic tradition and treasures in photographs. In the course of preparing this book they have stayed in the same lovely home and eaten the same fabulous food prepared by the same loving cook of Arden’s teenage years. Most importantly, this project has served as their justification for "having" to make many pilgrimages to a place they adore.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This book serves as both an armchair guide for learning about and enjoying the lore of Oaxaca's folk art, as well as a hands-on guide for those who plan to visit the region and develop their own folk art itineraries.

A mother-daughter team introduces the spectrum of Oaxacan folk arts: ceramics, textiles, woodcarving, metal work, miniatures and toys, jewelry, candles, basketry and dried flower crafts. A chapter on the Day of the Dead highlights its profound influence on many of these classes of folk art. Celebrating the transmission of artistic traditions from generation to generation in some of the most talented artist families in Oaxaca, 87 outstanding artists belonging to 44 families are featured. Their works, crafted from natural materials, incorporate unique blends of indigenous myths with ancient patterns and techniques, many of which have been preserved for hundreds of years.

Biographical and technical information is illustrated with over 500 glorious color photographs of the artists and their works. A useful resource section includes a list of shops and markets in Oaxaca City and 12 of its surrounding pueblos, maps locating the artists' homes, family trees, and a glossary of frequently-used terms that apply to these folk arts.


About the Author

Arden and Anya Rothstein, mother and daughter, live in New York City.

Arden is a psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist in private practice and a Faculty member at the NYU Psychoanalytic Institute, NYU Medical Center where she is also a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry. Anya is a high school student at the Poly-Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York whose hobby is photography.

In 1998 Arden took her family to Oaxaca to share beloved memories of three teenage summers spent there forty years earlier. Her love for and fascination with the area-especially its folk artist families-were rekindled. Intrigued by visiting pueblos and meeting artists in their homes, Anya (almost exactly the age at which Arden first traveled to Oaxaca) joins in preserving its artistic tradition and treasures in photographs. In the course of preparing this book they have stayed in the same lovely home and eaten the same fabulous food prepared by the same loving cook of Arden's teenage years. Most importantly, this project has served as their justification for "having" to make many pilgrimages to a place they adore.

SYNOPSIS

Arden Rothstein (New York U. Psychoanalytic Institute) and daughter Anya share their love of the contemporary folk art of Oaxaca, Mexico, in this guide for beginning collectors. Ten chapters cover ceramics, textiles, woodcarving, metal work, miniatures and toys, jewelry, candles, basketry, dried flower crafts, and images from the Day of the Dead. Sample pieces by 87 artists are featured, with information on current market values included. The guide is illustrated with some 500 color photographs. Oversize: 9.5x11". Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

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