Returning to Mata Ortiz.. and an Evening that we will Remember Forever

Continuation... Sunday November 22, 2009

We returned to Mata Ortiz for some Pottery Buying!! Oh how we love our buying trips...

First stop this afternoon was at the house of Julio Mora, an artist that specializes in really beautiful miniature ollas, both with traditional and modern designs. We had purchased pots from Julio's wife on our trip 3 years ago, but had never actually met Julio. Interestingly enough on that trip, we had placed a large order for the miniature pots. Julio and his wife had fired 50 of the little guys, but when we returned to purchase them.... sadly, only 5 had survived the firing because of strong winds! That was so disappointing, not only for us as we could only purchase the 5 survivors, but for the Mora's as well... so much work, and almost all had broken! This time we were really lucky -- we ended up with 25 miniatures! I just love the miniatures, and I think they are even more difficult..so much time and patience, along with a very steady hand to paint them! Here's a picture of Julio holding some of his larger pottery...

Julio Mora is one of the artists that were featured in the well known book about Mata Ortiz Pottery, The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz. This book has become the go to guide for collector's of Mata Ortiz Pottery. One of the collector's favorite activities is to carry the book with them on visits to the village, and have the artists autograph the book for them.




Next we were off to see another potter that we had visited on our last trip... Angel Amaya. We were really excited to see Angel again. His pottery is very well made, and quite unique in the village. His pots are typically done in an deep orange/terracotta color with a white overlay painting - different in his own style, but very much in line with the more traditional designs that were popularized by the Quezada Family. This may be in part because he was taught the art of painting by Juan Quezada's sister Consolacion, and her son Mauro. Angel Amaya is from the Barrio Provenir section of town. His work is also featured in the book "The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz", and you can read more about him on page 82.

You can purchase some of this beautiful pottery by Angel Amaya on our website at http://www.desilvaimports.com/products/?cid=16
While supplies last...

Next we were off to the house of Manuel Mora Tena. This was a new potter for us, and we probably would never have stopped were it not for Manuel's beautiful mother, who flagged us down while were were driving down the street looking for Angel Amaya's house. When we came out of Angel's house, Manuel was outside waiting with some really quite nice pottery for us to look at. We grabbed a few of these.. the designs are quite pleasant and the price very affordable! We followed them back to their house, and they wrapped everything up nicely for us. We also enjoyed our visit at their house... a truly delightful family! Manuel is actually a cousin of Angel Amaya, and lives just a few houses down from him.

These pots can also be purchased through our website www.desilvaimports.com, or simply click the following link, and you will be redirected there: http://www.desilvaimports.com/products/?cid=16
Happy Shopping!!

Next it was back to Casas Grandes and La Casa del Nopal to unload our pottery, take a quick shower and change our clothes. By then it was time to head back to Mata Ortiz for dinner at the wonderful home of Adalberto Perez Meillon. Maria had said she would be there as well, and was doing part of the cooking, so we were looking forward to spending some more time with both of these great people. We just did not know how much of a treat we were in for...

We arrived at Adalberto's house right on time...which for us is a rarity, as we are almost always late late late!!! I instantly fell in love with Adalberto's place. It is not overdone at all, and is a traditional adobe home, but you can tell that an artist lives there. The living room was done with adobe walls painted all white, and the focal point was a spectacular fireplace that gave such a feeling of warmth to the whole house.

The fireplace was decorated simply, yet elegantly, with some beautiful pottery and basketry, a simple cross, and with a wonderful black and white photo of Adalberto's father (who we were happy to learn was a Zapotec Indian... and as some of you know, many of our favorite families in Oaxaca are of Zapotec ancestry. It is funny how many ways you find yourself connected to someone -- it really does make the world seem a lot smaller and more peaceful). I could have sat in that room for many more hours. It felt like a movie set was brought to life in front of me.

Maria Pinedo, our beautiful new friend from San Francisco, showed up with some of the best chicken we ever ate... cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, tomatillos and chipotle peppers. When combined with Adalberto's Rueditas... which are basically dried zucchini rounds that are re hydrated in boiling water, and then cooked in a spicy home made tomato sauce... oh my goodness! These two dishes were rounded off by perfect Mexican Rice and some perfectly simple and delicious cucumber spears. That was the best meal ever!!! Yum!!! We had never had Rueditas before, and learned that they are most commonly eaten around Semana Santa ... Holy Week, as a totally vegetarian dish. There are so many things to get out there and try in this world... what are you waiting for? Get thyself to Mata Ortiz and enjoy life as a local!

To our surprise, and a special treat in its own right, there were other guests at the dinner...two of the best pottery families in Mata Ortiz! We were so very honored and so very pleased to meet Goyo Silvera and his wife Gloria Hernandez, as well as Pilo Mora, his wife Delia and daughter Lupita! We were definitely amazed at our luck! Both of these pottery families are featured in "The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz", and Pilo Mora was the one potter that Spencer MacCallum had told us not to leave town without meeting. And here we were, face to face with some of the stars of our world...

The evening was so much fun!!! Goyo has this incredibly wonderful spirit... a sense of humor that just keeps on rolling! And Gloria's laugh can ignite a room... and be heard down the block! We spent the rest of the evening surrounded by good friends, laughter.. and a bit of tequila! (Well, not for me this evening... I was the designated driver, and the road back to Casas Grandes can be quite scary at night!)

Some of our favorite stories of the night:
1) Pan Crudo and Mayonessa !! Raw Bread and Mayonnaise... Goyo had us all howling as he told the story of how Gloria's sisters had moved to the US. They were really skinny when they left, but when they came back home they had gained quite a bit of weight. Gloria and Goyo asked them what had happened, and the sisters said that in the US we eat alot of raw bread coated in mayonnaise... an interesting take on those white bread sandwiches! Every time someone ate too much or complained of gaining weight...for the rest of the trip it had to do with the Pan Crudo and the Mayonessa.
2) Beans with Nine Spoonfuls of Chile... Super Hot Salsa!
Goyo told us a story about an American man that he became really good friends with over the years. When he came over to the house to eat with them, he was copying how Goyo was eating his food. Well, unfortunately for him, Goyo is a BIG FAN of super hot chile. Before eating his beans, Goyo added about 9 spoonfuls of chile, and the gringo decided to do the same...with each spoonful that Goyo added, the unaware Gringo did the same. Gloria tried to warn him, but he said he loved salsa as well. Well, suffice to say.. I am sure that he was not loving it the next day! He said he was breathing fire, and his tummy was aching right away! Poor devil!
3) Noche de Brujas
Gloria decided to have an all girls party for Halloween, and the called it the Noche de la Brujas, or the Witches' Night. Goyo came home early, and wanted to hang out. Gloria told him to go on and sleep outside in his car, that tonight the house was hers... La Noche de Brujas had no room for men!
4) Vas o Voy... You Go or I Go...
Gloria asked Goyo if he wanted to come along to the dinner. When he hesitated, Gloria simply told him either you go, or I go alone..won't make much difference to me either way! This has become my new favorite saying.. you can come along, or stay at home, but no one is raining on my party!

We laughed for hours!!!

Pilo and Goyo have been lifelong friends..since elementary school days.They have lots of stories to tell, and have remained close since those early days. In fact, when they first started in the pottery trade, they would even take the small local railway into Cuidad Juarez to sell their pottery together. Gloria and Delia have also been close for a very long time. You could tell by the energy in the room, that there is a lot of warmth and chemistry between these delightful people. Pilo told us that they wanted to show us a relaxed fun side.. that they knew that our life at home can be filled with stress... " we want to take you away from all that... to make you forget for awhile". Thanks to Adalberto and Maria, we were part of this very special group of friends! And we enjoyed the evening to its fullest!

And don't forget to check out our previous post with the information on Adalberto's  incredible paintings that are done on Amate Paper! Contact him through his website at http://www.potterymasters.com/ , and be sure to purchase one of his paintings! You are guaranteed to love it!!!

Sleep was calling. It had been a very long day. We took our leave of our new friends, and headed back to Casas Grandes... where we laughed in the memories of the evening, until we both fell asleep safe and sound and happy as could be!

Sunday November 22nd's Second Installment

Continuation... Sunday November 22, 2009

Off to La Casa Roja... the Red House.. with Spencer MacCallum. What a treat it was to see La Casa Roja, another old adobe home that the MacCallums have deidcated themselves to restoring and preserving in Casas Grandes, Mexico.

What a truly beautiful home this is! Such a wonderful sense of the true history of the area. Spenser knows so much of the history of this part of the world, and it was fun to learn from him. The home is actually quite large, and furnished with local antiques... a true wood burning stove that is typical for the homes here, some beautiful examples of Mata Ortiz Pottery on an antiwque mantelpiece, and an antique iron bed with a delightful hand made quilt.

There was something of interest in every direction, including looking upwards...

This is a picture of the wood ceilings that are used in the traditional adobe homes. Spencer explained to us how they use the wood beams as the foundation of the roof, and then cover the beams on the top with dirt. In the olden days, it would be necessary to change out the beams periodically, as the weight of the dirt was amplified with the rain, and then the beams would start to sag with the weight being supported. Nowadays, people still use this method, but then top the roof with aluminum or some other form of covering, to solve this problem. Much easier than changing your wooden roofing every couple of years!

We also found the interior doorways to be interesting... traditionally the doorways are quite low.. perhaps we are getting taller and taller as the years go on, but these doorways are especially low! But they also add a certain charm to the house. The walls are also adobe on the inside of the house..quite thick. The adobe walls serve as a great source of natural insulation, and a barrier to outside noise. Not like the paper thin drywall of today's modern construction.

Outside in the back yard we stumbled upon a chicken..quite friendly and active

Also in the backyard of the house, it was very interesting to hear about how Spencer and Emi had purchased a trailer to haul their belongings down across the border when they decided to relocate their home to Casas Grandes. The trailer is now in the back yard, but they have surrounded it with adobe bricks just like the buildings and fences of the area. they still use it for storage, but it blends in perfectly with the surroundings! What a great idea!

Now it was on to the next house..and the most exciting one of all... La Casa Azul... the Blue House, and the house that I had read about and was dying to see!

La Casa Azul is another of the adobe homes that was purchased by the MacCallums, and then restored. (it is actually for sale currently, and I will forever be jealous of anyone who purchases this beautiful home!! The price has been reduced due to the realities of our economic times, and is a steal at $40,000 US. Contact Spencer and Emi for more information at SM@look.net ) This home is actually used to house artists who are participating in the Artist in Residence Program. In this program, artists stay at La Casa Azul, and decorate it to suite their individual taste and needs. The artists work on the craft while in Casas Grandes, teach interested locals and students their art form, and then have an exhibition of their work shown at the local museum. What a marvelous cultural exchange program that benefits both the artist, and the local community! The current artists in residence is a Fantastic photographer from Flagstaff, Arizona by the name of Rachel Running. We were overwhelmed by the beauty and authenticity of both her photography and her subjects. You can see her work on her website  http://raechelrunning.com  Rachel's father is also a very talented photographer who has taken some absolutely stunning photographs of the Tarahumara Indians of Northern Mexico. Some of these photos were on display at our home away from home, La Casa del Nopal, while we saw more of his work from Rachel's own collection inside of  La Casa Azul.

La Casa Azul was decorated perfectly in our opinion... a sense of life, color and artistry in every niche. It was truly awe inspiring on its own, and it was hard for us to resist taking and posting pictures of her work. Out of respect, I'll leave you to look at her website, but share only a few of the beautiful interior of the home... impossible to capture with my limited photographic talents however.

 Then Spencer showed us the part of the house that I was most excited to see... the hidden room!

The entrance to the partially subterranean room was hidden under a carpet. Once the carpet was folded back, a latch was revealed.. a latch the held the key to accessing this wonderful piece of history. Once the door was raised, we were able to carefully descend the stairway into the room. Wow! Once here, Spencer told us that this room was originally used to hide the women and children from attacking Apache Indians. The area was once controlled by the Apaches, and fighting between the Indians and the settlers was a common occurrence. We actually learned that the village of Mata Ortiz was named after a captain (or colonel -- my army knowledge is not the best..sorry) who was in charge of the dealings with the Apache Indians in the area. Later, during the Mexican Revolution, the room was used to hide from Pancho Villa and his troops. You can read more about Pancho Villa on this Wikipedia link if you like..it is quite a fascinating time in history in which he lived http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancho_Villa

Sorry for the slight detour... back to the hidden room, the hidden gem of this historical house...

Being down in this room, one could really get the sense of the fear and danger that anyone hiding in this room would have felt. The ceiling of the room is the floor boards of the house. Looking up, you can see through the spaces in the boards, and see part of the activity going on above. The noise alone, of people walking above you, knowing what their intentions must have been... that whole sensation was quite disturbing, even now in the safety of our times. But back in these times in history, the fear would have been quite present and quite overwhelming. You hear stories of mothers smothering their babies, just to keep them quiet and the rest of the family safe from discovery... the fear must have been all consuming!

Spencer told us that there used to be four homes in Casas Grandes with this type of hidden room, but all were done away with in renovations. This is the only surviving room of it's kind in Casas Grandes! What a incredible sense of history that this room, and this house provide... a true glimpse into our past. A history like this must be conserved, and a home like this should also be preserved. If we cannot see our past, and learn from our mistakes as a collective human race... what future are we doomed to, and what mistakes will we be prone to repeat? A question that perhaps is worth asking ourselves, as even today we race to modernize and obliterate our pasts... again I digress, sorry...

Thanks to Spencer for a wonderful morning, an inspiring tour, and an education that will last a lifetime!

We returned to Casa del Nopal, and took our leave of Spencer and Emi and went on to the museum to see the artwork of Adalberto Perez Meillon... and kind spirit, an ambassador of Mexican culture and tradition, and an incredibly talented artist!

Adalberto's artwork is just beautiful! The use of the natural and traditional Amate paper (an organic paper made from boiling the inner bark of a tree, that can be traced back to pre-Colombian times), combined with the designs native to the Mata Ortiz/Casas Grandes/Paquime region... combine to create an esthetically pleasing and fresh art form, that ties itself to the roots and culture of its past. While the use of amate paper as the base for paintings is nothing new in the traditions of Mexican Folk Art, Adalberto's interpretation actually elevates this form of folk art to a true level of fine art. The designs and colors used in his art, appear to jump off of the pottery of Mata Ortiz. To me, this art form is a natural evolution and compliment to the pottery of the region. As mentioned previously, Adalberto owns a gallery in Ensenada, Mexico where he sells Mata Ortiz Pottery. If you are in the area, please make sure to stop in and say hello...he has some fantastic examples of Mata Ortiz Pottery in his gallery... and please also be sure to see some examples of his own beautiful art!  Visit his website at: http://www.potterymasters.com/index.html

After leaving the museum we were on to MATA ORTIZ.... time for some pottery purchases!!!