Primo
Aquino "Agua Cara"
Tapestry
Woven
Wool
Natural Dyes
Dye Pot:
Cochineal with Lemons
Weaving
a Round Rug
Wool
Natural
Dyes
Primo
Aquino Workshop: Student Work
Juan Carlos Ornelas Leah
Hunter
Jessica Knickman
The
Zapotecs
For
more than three and a half millennia, the Zapotecs have inhabited
the central valleys and mountainous regions of what is now the
Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is said that the Zapotecs are descended
from supernatural beings that dwell in the clouds and when they
die, they return to this state of existence. Twenty five thousand
years ago, all of the villages of the Oaxaca valley, large and
small came together to achieve a common objective: to found the
capital of the Zapotec world, Monte Alban.
Zapotec
Ruins: Mitla
Since
that time, the Zapotecs have been renowned for their exceptional
weaving. They first wove on backstrap looms, using cotton to make
blankets colored with natural dyes. Later, with the arrival of
the Spanish, they were introduced to the spinning wheel, rigid
harness loom and other tools. Working with sheep's wool, these
native people very quickly brought together the techniques of
the Spanish with the skills, styles and talents of their ancestors
to create a unique expression: the Zapotec rug. To this day, each
Zapotec rug has a communal voice, but is imbued with an individual
expression, personal form and identity.
Workshop
Description
Plants, insects, leaves and fruits paint our world and blend together
to create the hues of the earth. We wound them for a moment and
with their blood we stain the threads to weave our dreams in this
world.
In this workshop students will learn a combination of natural
dyeing and tapestry weaving with the flavor of the 2,000-year-old
Zapotec culture. Using wool from Mexico, or your own yarns to
experiment with, students will learn to make natural dye extracts
and use a variety of mordants to create a wide range of colors
using indigo, cochineal, leaves, bark and other natural materials.
With these colorful yarns, participants will learn a tapestry
technique that can be used to weave complex designs and unusually
shaped weavings, including the circular forms that are Primo’s
signature.
Using yarns dyed with colors from nature, workshop participants
will learn a tapestry technique that can be used to weave complicated
figures, animal forms, landscapes and paintings. By first developing
plans on paper, the design can be painted onto the warp as a guide.
A more advanced level weaver can draft out the design on paper
and weave it directly on the loom.
As part of this workshop, students will come know to the Zapotec
culture of Oaxaca Mexico. Like the Navajo weavers, the Zapotecs
have been known for their complex weaving and dyeing for more
than 1000 years. In this workshop you will learn about the history
of the making of Zapotec textiles as well as the meaning of the
symbols and codices the Zapotecs have used since antiquity. Through
slides, discussions and hands-on experience in weaving and dyeing,
this workshop will explore technique, aesthetics and a worldview
very different from our own.
