Sabidurias Populares Series
Sabidurias Populares/Popular Wisdoms
I am the son of Mexican immigrants that arrived in the States in the mid '40s and settled in south-western Michigan in the early 60s. Throughout my formative years a large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins lived within a mile of my home. This transplanted micro-colony of Mexican culture took rootand grew to blend with the greater community of my small rural hometown. This tight knit family group has inspired and
played a significant role in the themes of my art works.
The 12 linoleum relief prints in the Sabidurias Populares series are another step in my effort to document and share some of my family’s culture and history. This particular series deals with familial folk sayings I heard as I grew up. These sayings are often cautionary statements to remind one of consequences that might occur if not heeded. The specificity of certain sayings is a mystery to me. I chose to focus on
twelve sayings that surprise, confound and amuse me to this day. While my aim at this point is to document the sayings, I took artistic license in interpreting them with personal memories or contemporary viewpoints to make each image hold its own.