What words best define “folk art”? For me
it has always been the art of the people, the art that
talks about everyday life and experiences. Across the
category are pictures of farming, dancing, eating, going
to market. We find pictures and figures of animals, mythological
gods and demons, children’s tales and cautionary
pictorial warnings. All of it comprises the fabric of
life for people who live very close to the earth and their
ancestors.
The photographs here show some of the work of Candalerio
Medrano, one of the national treasures of Mexico, and
a pioneer and teller of tales in “barro”,
or clay. His worked is displayed at the Museum of Modern
Art (MOMA) in N.Y.C., and collected widely when it can
be found. We have the honor of showing works by his son,
Serapio Medrano, who is following
closely in his father’s footsteps.
Of all the aspects of folk art, perhaps the whimsy, humor,
vision, and sheer emotional accessibility are the most
enticing aspects of the art form, because it doesn’t
require a lot of intellectual massaging to understand
it beyond cultural references – it is simply there,
eliciting an emotional response. You are inside the art
work without the need to be told “what it means”.
Over time we will share this folk art with you as we
find it. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
