Tag Archives: Retablos

“Sacred Spaces” for CFFC Rectangles, Aug 28, 2024

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The Kitchen
The Shop
The Beauty Parlor
Center Stage
At Home (Memories)

Click on photos to enlarge.

These rectangles are five of a series  of six retablos I created to depict women’s “Sacred Spaces.”  These particular spaces are the Kitchen, the Shops (in this case, an Arts and Crafts Shop,) the Beauty Parlor, Center Stage and Home Sweet Home. ( Actually, if you look closely, the true place depicted is the last frame is “Memory,” for the woman depicted is reviewing old letters, photos and other memorabilia). The sixth one sold before I could get a photograph of it.  It was the Art Studio.

 

For CFFC: Squares and Rectangles

The Poet’s Eye, the Artist’s Tongue

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This article came out in Conecciones, the Lake Chapala Society publication for March. It details a bit about my work, what goes in to making a retablo and also gives information about my show in Ajijic with Jesus Lopez Vega on March 26 from 3 to 7. Details are given below about the reception and other hours the exhibition will be open. Thanks, Harriet, for all your work and research in putting the article together.

 

Chaos Theory Retablo

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It just occurred to me that this retablo I couldn’t post before because it was in a show  is now hanging on my wall. Since it fits the prompt, here it is:

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For Lens Artist Challenge: Chaos

The Conveyor of the Moon

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The moon, a rabbit, a bottle of tequila and a simple Mayan figure of a woman convey to us many of  the legends of Mexico as well as one theory about her naming.  Eight years ago I created a retablo that conveyed this message, both visually and in a story that resides in a chamber within the box the retablo sits upon.  I sold that retablo years ago, but luckily I have this photo and these words that describe it. In case you missed it last time, here it is again: https://judydykstrabrown.com/2015/07/11/the-rabbits-navel/

 

The prompt today was conveyor.

Paying Homage

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Paying Homage


A “retable” or “retablo” was originally a frame or shelf enclosing decorated panels or revered objects above and behind an altar. It has since come to also designate the painting or other image it encloses. In Mexico, it is common for families to have smaller versions of the larger pieces seen in churches in their homes. At the time I moved here in 2001, I could buy the undecorated, unpainted ornamental metal frames for retablos in a local artisan market and I started making retablos myself that paid homage to saints, Mexican legendary figures, artists, family members and friends.  Over the years, my subjects have grown, as have the retablos.  Here are a few of the hundreds I’ve created over the past 16 years.  Recently, as the metal frames get harder to find, I have started using simpler boxes which I have constructed for me.

 

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Jugetes (Toys)

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“We’ll Always Have Paris”

IMG_5362Santa Cecilia (Patron Saint of Poets and Musicians)

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Self Portrait

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Hidden Kiss 


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Sunrise Madonna


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The Circus

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Sunday Afternoon Sala


DSCF9529Ganesha


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Creativity

 

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judy8Homage to Picasso

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Rainy Season

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Macho

 Our Lady of Notions

The prompt today was homage.

“We Were Framed!” One Word Photo Challenge: Frame

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(Please click on first photo to enlarge all.)

 

 

 

 

https://jennifernicholewells.com/2014/01/28/one-word-photo-challenge/

Hide and Go Seek: Thursday Doors, Nov 24, 2016

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With men everywhere in the house tiling, it was inevitable that the doors would have to come down. I found my bedroom door “hanging out” in the living room, complete with all its retablos and wall collages. One oversight on my part. I later “saved” all of the art pieces just as they were ready to cut the bottom of the door off with them still intact. Not your usual Thursday Door, I’ll submit!

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This group of efficient young men descended upon my house just as all of the tile layers were getting ready to go home and made short work of removing what doors hadn’t already been removed and cutting the bottoms off 13 doors to accommodate the higher porcelain tiles. And two of the doors were metal! Amazing.

https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.wordpress.com/2016/11/24/thursday-doors-november-24-2016/

Circus

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judy14

This is a piece I did a few years ago entitled “The Circus.”  It deals with that part of us that wants to run away and join the circus.  The porcelain doll has my mother’s face superimposed on it.  Over my mother’s face, I put several layers of Frida Kahlo’s face, peeled off in varying degrees.  Over Frida’s face is a miniature antique paste mask that can be pulled aside or allowed to fall into place.  In her hands are a tiny pair of silver scissors and around her waist is a tiny bag woven of morning glory vines.  She rises out of a toy chest decorated with Loteria cards.  On the chair to her left is a small clown figure with wings.  He is painting a portrait of Frida. Many discarded portraits of her lie crumpled and discarded on the floor. They are all the same. Below him are circus animals and a juggler who have spilled from the pages of a tiny journal that has a story written inside about creativity, sides of the brain, intuition vs. reason and imitation vs. unique inspiration. The overall piece is about the importance of coming from a unique place in ourselves rather than depending upon judgement and imitation. For me, the purpose of art is that experience of going into new realms of ourselves—to allow ourselves to do what most of us couldn’t do when we were young—to run away to join the circus!

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/circus/

More Retablos, Closer Up

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More Retablos, Closer Up

These are not the most accomplished photos, but I am so happy at having retrieved them from the bowels of the  “Photos” labyrinth, that I’m posting them.  They are a few of the more formal “Retablo” series that I’ll be displaying  January 31 from 10-3 in addition to the “Found Art” collages I posted yesterday. Since the Art Walk is tomorrow and I’ll be busy (I hope), right now I’m going to go for a walk of my own on the beach and for a swim!  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Pushing and Shoving: Favorite Quotation

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Pushing and Shoving

“If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

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I’m trying to set up for the art walk this weekend, but it is tricky when you are away from home without the usual display materials. I did a photo shoot this morning, but all of the photos mysteriously disappeared after I edited them. Hmmm. This is a quick shot of a display of retablos set up in the bedroom. I need to avail myself of all available surfaces!

I envy people who can throw things together with great flair, but I’m not one of them.  I need to experiment, nudge things around, walk away and come back and have another look, leave the room and walk back in to surprise myself and see if I really like it, seeing it as a stranger of sorts.

When my friend Patty had me come help her arrange things in her new house after her old house blew away in a tornado, she said, “I’m going to have to leave the room while you finish. It drives me crazy watching you fuss!” Ha!!!  I always think of this every time I am pushing things this way and that.

I blame this on my mother.  From the time I was little, we would wait until my dad went to bed and then rearrange the living room furniture.  We’d sit with our backs against big heavy pieces like the piano and push with our legs and backs against the heavy beast to budge it without risking popping a muscle or tendon.  Then we’d sit and survey our work, move one thing or another.  I think my mom in this way made me a collage artist before I even knew the meaning of the word.  It was performance art where we could actually walk around in the assemblage and tug it around.

When I work in the art studio, I usually work on 12 to 20 pieces at a time.  I arrange them, then come back the next day and take out one thing, add another.  Pieces can take a week to come out right or a year–or, after a year I sometimes take them all apart and start over.  I don’t know why a piece finally feels right.  I just know when it does.

Yes, when it comes to art, decorating or setting a table–I think “If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

The same goes for cooking!  If it doesn’t taste right, I just start adding things until it tastes right.  I like lots of flavor in a dish.  Subtle just doesn’t do it for me in either decorating or cooking.

The Prompt:  Do you have a favorite quote?  Tell us what significance it has for you.