About Huichol Yarn Paintings
Technique:
The term yarn painting is used here to describe the technique of decorating flat surfaces with wax and yarn. Most of these same techniques are used by Huichol artisans to decorate other objects such as prayer bowls, masks, carved wooden animals and increasingly any number of objects to satisfy market demands.
Yarn paintings are created by applying wax to a prepared surface, usually plywood and then pressing the yarn into the wax. Although plywood imported from Indonesia is the material of choice, other materials such as particleboard or pine plywood are used due to lower costs. Most artists sketch their designs directly onto the wax with a metal tool before laying down the yarn. I know of at least one artist however who draws out his design directly onto the wooden tablet in pencil and then covers the drawing with wax. Wax is fairly translucent so the drawing is easily seen.
A word about color:
Photographing yarn paintings and duplicating the original colors in their entirety is difficult. All attempts have been made, within reason, to duplicate the original color of the artwork. However, due to the variances of film, the color complexity of the subject matter, the film processing, scanning and editing - not all of the colors seen on the Internet are going to be exactly as they are in the artwork. What I do guarantee is that every painting I sell will exceed in color and textural quality than what your monitor displays. A prospective buyer might inquire regarding the variance in color of any painting of interest.
Color:
For some people a yarn paintings greatest appeal are the colors and the artists' ability to combine color. I have even applied the designation colorist to certain artists whose ability to select and combine color is superior. Yarn paintings may have as few as 10 - 15 colors or as many as 50+. Most commercially available paintings, however have fewer than 20 different colors, including those found on the Internet and in galleries.
Yarn:
All yarn used today is commercially produced in Mexico and is synthetic. Natural wool is not used any longer as it was in making the votive objects which predate the modern yarn paintings - known as nierikas. All colors have their origins in aniline dyes. I know of one dealer who advertises in his gallery that the colors of his paintings are derived from natural extracts, however I know this not to be the case, since I sold him the paintings.
Yarn Paintings & Peyote:
Contrary to popular belief the Huichol or Tepehuano are not under the influence of Peyote when making yarn paintings. Peyote is not even part of the Tepehuano culture. The Tepehuano instead smoke macuchi which is probably related to tobacco and is not a mind altering substance. Macuchi is ubiquitous in the artwork of the Tepehuano, much as the peyote is in that of the Huichol. However, none of the Tepehuano artists known to me smoke macuchi.
Wax:
The use of wax is an integral element in the making of yarn paintings and beadwork. It is far more important to the longevity of the artwork than any other factor. Poor quality wax substitutes, ubiquitously employed today in most yarn paintings and Huichol beadwork are chiefly responsible for the yarn and beads popping off.
Artists:
My interest in folk and tribal art is focused on the objects themselves. My principal concerns are for the quality of the workmanship, technique, materials employed, longevity of the object and creative originality. Who made the object is of less importance to me than the cultural context from which it is born. Moreover, I have seen on more than one occasion artists ruined after becoming over publicized and overwhelmed with impossible orders from buyers insensitive to the efforts involved in producing a great work. Fraudulently produced signatures of popular artists such as Jose Benitez Sanchez, placed onto artwork made by other artists has been going on for over 10 years. Not only have a few dealers in Mexico been doing this but also some of the artists themselves. There are several well known artists who regularly commission unsigned paintings by others, sign them and then pass them off to unsuspecting buyers as their own work. Since 99% of buyers do not speak Spanish and cannot recognize or distinguish the different artist's styles - they easily and understandably fall prey to unscrupulous vendors.
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