Our Lady of Oaxaca

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=131 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="3" WIDTH="107" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#C0C0C0" FRAME="HSIDES" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 27 WIDTH="99"><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="J. 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Michael Walker</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 14 WIDTH="822"><div> <IMG SRC="2cfbc020.png" border=0 width="444" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="3" WIDTH="818" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#C0C0C0" FRAME="BOX" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 671 WIDTH="9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="671" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="9" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1d8649a0.jpg" border=0 width="356" height="666" ALT="J Michael Walker, Our Lady of Oaxaca" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="671" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="9" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="361" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="355"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="32" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="355" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 58 WIDTH="355"><div> I began this piece inspired by the face of a young folklorico dancer I met and photographed in San Bartolo Coyotepec, in the state of Oaxaca.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 58 WIDTH="355"><div> I dressed her in a traditional <I>huipil</I>, altering its embroidered design of birds gathered 'round a flower, to yield twin angels gathering around a sacred heart.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 58 WIDTH="355"><div> There's an earthen solidity to her figure, which reminded me, as I drew the piece, of Diego Rivera - if Diego were ever inclined to depict the Virgin Mary.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 173 WIDTH="355"><div> In depictions of the Virgin as Our Lady of the Apocalypse, or Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, she is show trampling a snake or dragon symbolizing evil threatening our world. I elected to depict a giant snake, shot through with an arrow, which bears a series of ribbons boasting a traditional pinata song: "Don't lose your balance / because if you do, you'll lose your way." This warning also serves as an aviso to the solitary pilgrim on the pathway at the bottom of the drawing.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 58 WIDTH="355"><div> In the lower left of the piece a hermit shields his eyes as he gazes up to see this vision outside his cave: He is Joachim di Fiore, the great mystic 11th century writer.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 77 WIDTH="355"><div> A choir of angels forms a multi-hued crown behind the Virgin, in the sky behind our sky; and Marian flowers of purity - lilies and white roses among them, rain down like illuminated manuscript blessings.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 ><NOBR><div> And that's why these drawings take so long.</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="671" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="9" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 102 WIDTH="9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="102" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="9" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="3" WIDTH="336" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#C0C0C0" FRAME="BOX" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="322"><div> Our Lady of Oaxaca</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 39 ><NOBR><div> by J Michael Walker, 2000</div> <div> Color pencil on paper, 96" high x 50" wide</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="102" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="9" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="395"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="102" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="395" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="102" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="9" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 14 WIDTH="886"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="886" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>