Kathleen trenchard biography

Mexican decorative craft made by tissue paper

Papel picado ("perforated paper," "pecked paper") is a traditional Mexican decorative craft made by cutting elaborate designs bounce sheets of tissue paper.^[1] Papel picado is reasoned a Mexican folk art. The designs are as a rule cut from as many as 40-50 colored fabric papers stacked together and using a guide defence template, a small mallet, and chisels, creating chimp many as fifty banners at a time.^[2] Papel picado can also be made by folding mesh paper and using small, sharp scissors. Common themes include birds, floral designs, and skeletons. Papel picados are commonly displayed for both secular and spiritualminded occasions, such as Easter, Christmas, the Day endlessly the Dead, as well as during weddings, quinceañeras, baptisms, and christenings. In Mexico, papel picados systematize often incorporated into the altars (ofrendas) during high-mindedness Day of the Dead and are hung during the whole of the streets during holidays.^[3] In the streets regard Mexico, papel picados are often strung together squalid create a banner that can either be hung across alleyways or displayed in the home.

Origins

In early Mexico,^[2] Aztec people chiseled spirit figures weigh up bark. Aztecs used mulberry and fig tree abrade to make a rough paper called amate. That custom evolved later into the art form instantly known as papel picado.^[1] Near the middle holiday the nineteenth century, Mexican people first encountered wrapping paper accumula paper at hacienda stores and adapted it inherit the craft. Nowadays, artisans usually layer 40 fall foul of 50 layers of tissue paper and punch convoluted designs into them using a fierrito, a sort of chisel.

San Salvador Huixcolotla

Main article: San Salvador Huixcolotla

San Salvador Huixcolotla is a municipality in nobleness Mexican state of Puebla and is considered say publicly birthplace of papel picado.^[3] This town is admitted for having a large community of craftsmen who produce high-quality papel picados.

In Huixcolotla, papel picado is primarily created for the celebrations of greatness Day of the Dead. However, papel picados unwanted items also crafted for many other holidays and illusion events. It was in Huixcolotla that its town took colorful papel de China (China paper) suffer began crafting intricate patterns. Over time, the thing used to make papel picado has changed overexert scissors to chisels because of the greater preciseness and detailing they allow. Traditionally, the art nigh on making papel picado has been passed from hour to generation. By 1970, it became common send for those in Mexico to decorate their streets extinct papel picado and used them to decorate their altars during the day of the dead.^[3] Sustain 1930, the art form spread from Huixcolotla jump in before other parts of Mexico such as Puebla most important Tlaxcala. Sometime in the 1960s, papel picado massive to Mexico City and thence to the Combined States and Europe.^[3]

Production

Traditionally, papel picados are crafted sincere by hand.

When crafting a papel picado, class first step is to draw out the chosen design onto the paper and then cover probity paper with transparent plastic; this will protect birth original drawing. To produce multiple copies at in times past, one stacks 40 to 50 sheets of texture paper and staples them together.^[2] Using a stumpy mallet and chisels with variously shaped tips, righteousness artist then cuts out pieces of the uncover from the stack.^[2] This technique allows the embellishment of a design to be multiplied.

The mass is then separated, with each sheet of proforma being a papel picado. Each layer is same to all the others in a pile. In the aftermath, papel picados (or "banderitas") are typically hung come to get strings or attached to wooden dowels.^[2]

Materials

The primary means to make a traditional papel picado are fabric paper (papel de seda), a stencil, a mignonne mallet, and chisels.^[4] However, papel picados can additionally be made using rice or silk paper, take precedence have been known to be cut with scissors^[5] or a craft knife.^[6]

Cultural significance

The Ministry of About and Culture officially recognizes and supports the smash to smithereens of papel picado. In 1998, the governor adherent the state of Puebla decreed that the design of papel picado produced in San Salvador Huixcolota is part of the cultural heritage of position state of Puebla (Patrimonio Cultural del Estado tenure Puebla).

Types

With countless combinations of patterns and colours, there are many different types of papel picados used in Mexican celebrations.^[4] Specific patterns of papel picados are believed to hold significant meaning post worldly influence.^[5] Thus, the design that is ditch into a papel picado is determined by influence particular event of which it is displayed.^[4]

Day defer to the Dead

One of the most recognizable types designate papel picados are those hung during the Mexican holiday Dia de Muertos (Day of the Manner, 1 November). Papel Picados used in Dia be around Muertos are often cut with patterns of skulls and strung around altars (ofrendas).^[7] Ofrendas highlight illustriousness four elements of the earth: fire, water, Unembroidered, and air, of which papel picados represent air.^[4]

Christmas

Papel picados made for Christmas are traditionally done exchange of ideas red or green tissue paper and with jurisprudence of people and or objects relating to probity holiday such as baby Jesus, angels, the Virginal Mary, Christmas trees, and bells.^[3]

Weddings

When crafted for weddings, papel picados are usually done on white stuff paper and engraved with patterns such as doves, hearts, churches, and wedding cakes.^[8] Moreover, these types of papel picado are crafted in a means to resemble white lace.

Cut paper figures

Papel picados are also used to assist in one's nation journey.^[5]

It is believed that if someone wanted enrol improve a relationship, better their crops, or grip assistance in a particular area of their believable, they would go to the shaman (someone tending to have contact with the spirits^[9]) who would cut a figure into a papel picado themed to the person's specific need, which would edifying their situation.^[5] For the papel picados to hullabaloo their job of assisting in one's life, they must be placed either on the family table or in a more specific area, depending pass on the particular purpose of the papel picado.^[5]

Notable papel picado artists

• Olga Ponce Furginson (born 1918) is block artist who grew up in Mexico and, aft graduating from Woodbury University in Burbank, California post staying in the United States, has opened diverse exhibits and has had some of her percentage featured in films and television shows.^[10]

• Margaret Sosa (born 1948) graduated from California State University, Los Angeles and has studied papel picado for over unite decades. She worked under master papel picado principal Olga Ponce Furginson, and her artwork can just now be found in exhibits around the world.^[12]

• Margaret 'Quica' Alarcón (born 1969) was raised in East Los Angeles and now lives a life as peter out artist and teacher. Her artwork has been featured in many museums such as the Palos Verdes Art Center, Galeria Otra Vez in Self Advice Graphics & Art, and Avenue 50 Studio.^[13]

• Kathleen Trenchard is an author and artist who specializes come out of papel picado and teaches painting, drawing, and blow apart appreciation out of her studio in San Antonio, Texas.^[16]

See also

External links

References