Oaxacan Wood Carvings Cats to Crabs
Aldo Hernandez has created this unsual cat.
It is not a large piece at @ 8-9 inches long but I find I really am drawn to it.
When I first saw the piece at my importers I didn't pay it too much attention as there were bigger pieces catching my eye. Now that I have it home and have photographed it and seen it up close and personal it has become my favorite one. I can explain why as I wondered myself and it is quite simple. The early oxacan carvings were decidedly folk art expressing an artists view of the world around them and dealt with cats,dogs, rabbits, angels, and mexican folklore. Over time the designs became more worldly and so zebras, lions, tigers etc. started showing up. Galleries and stores that carried them sold more of certain styles and that in turn drove the artists to explore the more popular areas for new themes. In a nutshell the market place had a certain amount of influence in directing the direction of the art. As new generations of artists emerged they built upon the earlier works evolving the artform to what it is today . This piece reminds me of where it all started and portrays a cat as almost skeletal with bright designs and great painting. It is not a cute piece as many pieces are but it is so very expressive that I like. The large photo will help you to make up your own mind about it.
Artist-Olivera
Piece is 7 1/2 inches tall
Small carving at 3 inches long body by 2 inches high
Antonio Aragon
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