Cuzco/Cusco: Round Two
3/24/10-3/27/10
Cleaning a St. Michael statue from the top of La Cathedral
One of the cusco school paintings and frames I purchased
detail
The purpose of this visit to Cusco was to speak to artisans and workshops that produce Colonial Cusco School style paintings. I arrived to Cusco on my own but I met up with Erin, a good friend from high school, as well as with Gloria, Renee, Anita, and Carey (Renee’s father) who arrived the day after I did. Unlike Ayacucho, I did not have an art exporter to help me find workshops so I had to go around and ask the artisans who had shops if I could see their workshops. Most of them shook their heads and said that their workshops were too far away to visit easily. My limited Spanish was also a hindrance and I depended both on my friends and people that I met in Cusco to help me communicate more smoothly. In the end I was able to visit one painting workshop which was very fruitful. I am very pleased that I was able to return to Cusco as I found it rewarding in terms of my Gelman Project and had a lot of fun with my friends as well.
3/24/10
Today I arrived in Cusco! My journey to Cusco was mostly uneventful minus a minor taxi accident on the way to the airport (this is the 2nd minor accident that I have been in in 3 days). This resulted in a slightly stressful delay in my arrival to the airport. I was met at the airport by Rocio, one of the managers of Hostel Magico, the hostel I will be staying it. She was very nice and we had a good chat on the way to the hostel.
View from the hall outside my room at Hostel Magico
The hostel is nice, although I don’t care for these shared bathrooms that require you to go outside to get to (because now in the this evening it is raining). However it is nice to be in a hostel filled with nice young people!
I then made my way to the city center and San Blas (this hostel is a little farther from the city center and artisan district in San Blas that I would like). Most of the artisans that I spoke to the last time I was in Cusco were here. And Wilbert, the artisan of Arte Sarmiento workshop who I purchased my colonial painting and frame from when I came last time, agreed to talk to me about the painting techniques tomorrow. Perfect!
Oh, the Andes.
Plaza de Armas
At 3 I met ERIN!!!!!! I have not seen her in maybe 4 years. We gave each other HUGE hugs and sat and talked for several hours in the Plaza de Armas. She has been traveling through South America since November. She has been through Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia before coming to Peru. She was originally traveling with 3 friends but they left her and she has been on her own for a month or so now. We spoke about the ups and downs of being alone. It was refreshing to be able to talk to someone about it. She has had some amazing experiences!!! Afterward we went for dinner at the restaurant Yanay Aldea.
Side Note: My hostel is on a street that is FULL of Bordados (Embroidery) shops that produce the gaudy textiles that they put on the beautiful carved statues in the churches in Cusco. I was able to go into one and check it out!
Bordados dress!
Working on a Bordados
Bordados detail
3/25/10
This morning I met with Gloria and her friend Leander so that we could speak to a few workshops and Gloria could help me translate when I go to talk to Wilbert about painting techniques. Leander is very active in helping the communities around Cusco and you can read about her nonprofit charitable work here and here. She is incredibly nice and vibrant! It was wonderful to meet her!
Altars in one of the many artisan shops in San Blas
statues
Carpenter about to stain some frames for me with a stain called Gomalacka
Staining!
Here are a few things I learned:
We started in Alfredo’s workshop (Alfredo has a very nice shop where he sells paintings and frames. He just works on frames and commissions painting workshops to make work for him to sell in the shop). I was able to ask a few questions workshop organization. Apparently they don’t have workshops that do both the frames and paintings because it costs too much in taxes/social security. He said that tomorrow he may be able to show me a painting workshop! Woo! Or on Saturday… so we will see!
We then continued on to Wilbert’s shop. He had his friend in the shop painting a flagellation of Christ. I asked questions about applying the gold and it seems that it is first painted in oil and then the gold is added on top of that. It is a mix of varnish and artificial gold powder. They don’t use any natural pigments, only from the tube. I was a bit disappointed in that. Since they mine some of the natural pigments in South America I thought that they might use them… apparently it just isn’t economical!
Painting a Flagellation of Christ in Wilbert's shop
Progress on the flagellation
Archangels at Wilbert's shop
In the afternoon I relocated to Hostel Casa De La Gringa Dos in San Blas so that everyone could stay together (Erin, Renee, and I would share a room). This hostel is OK. The floors are very creaky and the staff speaks no English. But there is a good sitting area with a view onto the city and it is in a prime location in the artisan area!
View from my Casa de la Gringa Dos (my new hostel)
Plaza de Armas by night
3/26
Set up a meeting with an painting workshop for tomorrow.
Painter in an artisan shop painting ornaments in the halo
close up!
Sneaking a photo of Alpaca Andean Ladies
Cusco by night
3/27/10
On the way to lunch/breakfast at a little Vegetarian restaurant we stopped by an artisan market where I got purchased a nice gourd with a jungle scene carved on it. The artisan even signed and dated it right in front of me. I was glad that I was able to see the tool and technique that the artisans use to make these incredibly intricate carvings!
Inca Kola
At around 3 I met with Felix, a friend I met here who agreed to help me translate, and we went with Alfredo to a Painting workshop. It was PERFECT. The workshop was exactly what I wanted to see.
When I returned from the workshop Erin took me to the Contemporary art Museum because there was a very nice and talented Argentinean artist named Juan hanging out with his paintings. His image vocabulary was largely based in repetition and undulation of parts of the human body. His technique is very good and he had several entrancing paintings. He spoke to us for awhile (here Erin and I got a real work out on out Spanish…Erin did especially!)
Erin and her new puppy friend in Plaza de Armas!
In the evening we had dinner with Jonny and Felix (two friends we met here). And then I had dessert with Renee, Gloria, and Leander! They just returned from the Sacred Valley where they had a great time. Return to Lima tomorrow!
I really enjoyed reading about cuzco and retablos.
I wonder if you have any contacts there where I could buy the retablo frames and the costs?
I am a orthodox byzantine iconographer. I have bought a few retablos for my icons. I only need the frames. I work in tradition egg tempra , make my own paint from only earth pigments and use 23k gold leaf.
Although traditionally personal icons aren’t framed I find these frames make them into little iconastasis’. You can’t make a living doing traditional icons. They would be cost prohibtive .I try to make them affordable. I do them to spread God’s presence and love and to get them to families as something meaningful that can be passed down. All my time/ and profit goes to charity.
by cutting out the middle man i can buy more effectivly, get more to the artisan and have more for charity on the other end. Do you have any artisan contacts that ship directly to the usa and would be interested.?
Thanks
diane