The Shaman's Mirror by Hope MacLean

Author:Hope MacLean
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 2012-01-28T16:00:00+00:00

Mixed Media

Occasionally, the Huichol use other materials in their paintings, such as a small round commercial mirror set into the wax. The mirrors can be purchased cheaply in Mexican markets. They are the same as the mirrors used by the shamans for divination. An embedded mirror emphasizes the nierika concept of the yarn painting as an image seen in a shaman’s mirror.

Some artists fill in small sections of their paintings with beads. Mixing beads and yarn is an old practice, also found in sacred offerings (Lumholtz 1900, fig. 8). In 2000, I saw some experimental paintings that included feathers and snakeskins. The dealer told me they had been made by a Huichol from Zitacua. If so, the mixed media could reflect the influence of José Benĺtez and his contacts within the art world. It is quite possible that a visiting artist or dealer suggested using these materials.

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