Plate 23: Painting on Buckskin: From Portfolio "Spanish Colonial Designs of New Mexico" 1935 - 1942

This painting on buckskin features floral motifs and decorative borders, probably made in New Mexico during the Spanish Colonial period. I can imagine the anonymous artist carefully applying the pigments to the prepared animal skin, possibly using handmade brushes. The surface is soft, with a kind of give that a canvas wouldn’t have. I wonder about the intimacy of the act, the way the artist may have felt connected to their materials, to a specific tradition, and to the surrounding landscape. The pinks, greens, blues, and reds seem grounded in the local flora. Look at how each potted plant has its own distinct character! The soft application of color gives the impression that the artist was making each flower and tendril come alive slowly, intuitively. This kind of vernacular design is so important. This piece probably shares ideas with other works, like pottery or weaving. All artists are in conversation with the past and each other, absorbing and transforming the work that came before into something completely new.