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Nicaraguan Artists Develop Craft with Tradition, Innovation
The Boardwalk Art Show brought Gallery NICA to Virginia Beach for a private viewing and sale June 13 and 14. The North Carolina-based gallery features ceramic arts by three generations of artists from San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua. The pieces on display last weekend were unique among Latin American indigenous arts in that the artists adhered to traditional methods while simultaneously earning critical acclaim from contemporary collectors. “My technique comes from a certain time in the past, but my ideas are contemporary,” said Luis Enrique Gutierrez while showing off works by artists from the Nicaraguan town of 5,000 that he still calls home. Gutierrez described an art revival in San Juan de Oriente beginning in 1979, when Nicaragua’s Banco Central began supporting the artisans, but the town’s ties to the arts are much older. The artists believe that one of the keys to their craft -- extracting sap from Mora trees to create black pigment, was developed by Mayan and other Mesoamerican cultures 2,000 years ago. Don Gregorio Bracamonte, Gutierrez’s grandfather, rediscovered this painting technique. The works by Bracamonte, known as “el maestro” in his hometown, have a distinctively pre-Columbian character. His stately jaguar sculptures represent the Nicoya God of War and were created with mineral material from the earth. They sell for as much as $900. The artists of San Juan de Oriente have garnered international attention thanks to Paul Devoti of Zebulon, N.C. Devoti worked with a cousin of Gutierrez to introduce San Juan de Oriente ceramic art in the United States. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua, Devoti first visited San Juan de Oriente in 1995. Recognizing the exceptional quality of the ceramics, Devoti set a mission of getting the work to individuals who would appreciate its value, while concurrently generating income for the artists and funding community development projects in San Juan de Oriente. The contemporary movement occurred organically within the town; the artists did not study in formal art schools, but instead learned techniques from their families and developed their own styles through experimentation. Helio Gutierrez, Bracamonte’s son, learned the art of ceramics from his father, but went on to develop geometric designs that became the starting point for the town’s contemporary movement. He received the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s award for artisans in Latin America in 1999. The process of creating ceramics in San Juan de Oriente remains labor intensive. The pieces are not glazed; shine is instead achieved through the traditional technique of stone rubbing. The works are baked in brick kilns heated by firewood. Luis Enrique Gutierrez’s art is distinct from that of his grandfather and father, just as his generation lives in a culture and society that has developed and changed. When asked to explain the designs in his works, his response reflected elements of antiquity and modernity. “This is ‘carnival,’” he said, pointing to a bright blue vase decorated with intricate ribbon-like colors that indeed evoke the customary celebration. Other works included depictions of fishermen and bubbles. Gutierrez has traveled extensively, visiting art shows in Chicago, New York, Michigan and Washington, D.C., but he calls San Juan de Oriente home and wouldn’t want to settle anywhere else. He urges fellow Latino artists to respect the traditions of their heritage. “Maintain the art of your land,” he said. “Keep these traditions alive.” His work proves that tradition can live on while a contemporary vision and style flourishes. |
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By Caroline Stauffer
