Jul 31, 2008
BAC Instructors:
Luis Montalvo John Pilling
Designing Together - A Parallel Studio about Living in the Américas
Sierra Del Tigre:
Our trip began with a very early morning followed by a long day of travel. By the time we reached the town of Ajijic, the class had already seemed bonded over a cracked muffler in one car and a used condom in the other. We had a long, leisurely lunch in the courtyard of a serene little restaurant. We had to move under cover when it started to rain. Occasional, distant fireworks. Once again, a pleasant bonding experience. We began exploring after dinner, walking down to a calm moment at the dock. A door made from an old boat. Lake Chipala surrounded by mountains.
Mazamitle:
There is a lone mariachi playing in the town plaza. We explore…alleys, church, market. Multi-colored streamers all over. I sketched the church here because it was huge and colorful. I sketched the streets because they seemed to continue on forever, as do the lines in Barragan’s houses. Fiesta eggs are cracked over my head. Luis shoots bond with a firework. We begin to understand more of the Mexican culture and architecture.
Manzanilla:
We arrive in Mansanilla on the last day of the festival of St. Michael. We explore at the Shrine of the Virgin. The wall is full of charms, pictures, letters, prayers, locks of hair. The image of the Virgin on the stone looks to have been drawn on with chalk. Bond makes friends at the hole-in-the-wall bar. Efficiency. There are mariachis playing to one family in the plaza for hours. Children, toys, bright colors, balloons, fiesta. People in indigenous costumes carry a statue of St. Michael through the church. As it gets dark, the dancing begins. We settle in a bar overlooking the plaza. We wait and wait for the fireworks. Eventually we leave without seeing them.
Concepcion de Beunos Aires:
We scour the town plaza, sketching and taking pictures. There is a statue of Urzua. The streets here are long and flat. Children giggle and make fun of us. From the outside, the houses are desolate, adobe, plain. Urzua’s son and grandson welcome us into their homes with open arms. Their hospitality is wonderful. Inside the homes are beautiful courtyards…intimate and real. There is a weird blue light emanating from upstairs.
We move on two Urzua’s cemetery. Red clay roads lead to the giant cross at the gate. Underneath there a versions of death from multiple cultures…Charon, Grim Reaper, Aztec gods. Crosses and flowers forever, a tribute to the dead. Urzua’s mother is immortalized in a fountain. Tiny cats usher us out, guard the dead.
Guadalajara:
We spend a day traveling to get back to Guadalajara. We now see many of the American businesses/restaurants we are used to. We are back to the familiar sights and sounds of the big city. Everyone missed the hospitality and simplicity of the rural areas of Mexico. We eat the Dinner of 100 Tacos. The Boston detox is over…we feel a hint of unease being in a more urban setting.
Centro Historico (plazas):
Mexican patriotism is everywhere—green, red, and white lights bathe the exterior of buildings. We hear a nun singing beautifully at the end of an evening mass. We stroll leisurely through the Rotunda of Guadalajara’s Illustrious Sons, finding a state of Barragan swimming in orange light. Everyone has fun in the biggest town plaza, throwing rocket balls into the air.
Cristo House:
The walls look as if they are frosted cake. Barragan still hasn’t found his hand, at this point in his career he is just copying what he has seen in books. The house is the home to an architecture school in Guadalajara now. My camera breaks. Flying blind for the rest of the trip.
Gonzales Luna House:
The Gonzales Luna house is a little more what we are used to seeing from studying Barragan. The fountains bubble. The house now contains a museum and a coffee shop. The multiple roof terraces begin to show a glimpse of what Barragan is eventually going to be all about.
Orozco Mural:
The Orozco murals are like looking into scenes from a battle between Heaven and Hell. The murals stretch out overhead, reaching out, enveloping. It is a metaphorical history of Mexico. I stumble upon a room of sleeping federales.
Mercado:
The market didn’t look like much when we first arrived, but after a little exploration it proved to be a labrynth. The colors were bright, there is food and toys everywhere. There are pig hoofs and faces. Everyone enjoys their purchases.
Cabanas:
Again, Orozco’s murals are amazing. The fire figure in the center is amazing. Cortez brings technology from Europe, as well as death. The building and museum are regal, but pail in comparison to the murals. Two years of work went into the creation of these amazing works of art.
Exchange of Information:
Our first exchange of information with the Guadalajara students doesn’t go especially well. We are ill prepared; things are not organized. The other students talk and are disruptive as we present. There is a feeling afterwards of disappointment, we will be more well prepared for the next presentation.
Travel Observations
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Andrew Paine
Andrew page 2