Armando Jimenez: Alebrije Rooster Woodcarving skulls

Armando Jimenez: Alebrije Rooster Woodcarving skullsArmando Jimenez carves his alebrijes in the tradition of his grandfather, Don Manuel Jimnez Ramrez, founder of the Oaxacan alebrije movement, and this rooster sits squarely within that classic style. The rooster is caught off balance on purpose, weight forward, comb thrown back, tail sweeping high into a curve that pulls the whole composition upward and to one side. Across cultures the rooster has long stood for the turn from dark to light, the animal

and blessings

This magnificent monkey carving by  Oaxaca artist Reyna Pina is full of motion and personality

Over this mesmerizing ground

Hand-carved from wood in Michoacán

The radiant pinks

meditative touch that rewards the attentive eye

and shift from dark to light stands out on its own

and cultural criticism

the kind of homespun touch that suggests her own hand at the needle

The gallinita is perfectly painted

In the center of the piece is a square cotton cloth hand-embroidered with a bright butterfly

Dimensions: 4''Tall 13''Long 2