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A "fingered" design taken from one of the Mixtec "Serapes" collected by the artist during trips to Oaxaca State, in South-East Mexico. (above)
The Mixtec Culture, living in extreme poverty in the mountains West of Oaxaca City, in an area refered to as the "Sierra Mixteca" , has remained ostracized since the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish during the sixteenth century. For this reason, it has one of the most authentic and un-changed design cultures, dating back to early Mezo-American design principles. Serapes, worn by all the men, are woven using a "backstrap" type of loom, by the women. These "looms" consist of a collection of carefully carved "sticks" and are kept taught for weaving by the weight of the weaver, leaning back, with one end of the loom strapped behind their back.