Week 7: Cancion Mixteca

This week I wanted to create a piece inspired by the painfully beautiful feeling of nostalgia for simple times in simple lands. My parents are both from the rural state of Oaxaca. And the song that brings them both to tears is "Cancion Mixteca" by Cuco Sanchez. When I ask them what they miss the most, they never fail to dedicate a moment to the natural landscapes of their childhood, especially the sembrados de maíz (fields of maize). 

I abstracted a field of maize stalks into a line of hanging strings. But these were not just any strings. The strings were covered in gold rice. The materials used: gold spray paint, uncooked rice, wrapping string, spray-on glue, a hot glue gun, and a stick of wood. 

I alluded to the notion of space-- the space created when two things are separated by an unnatural force. And although maize is a staple in the basic diet of many rural people, I wanted to make sure it was represented in way that conveyed the nutritional and spiritual richness it feeds my parents. Thus, I covered the plain string with gold-covered rice to mimic the warm color of maize.