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California State University, Northridge Past Into Present

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California State University, Northridge Past Into Present CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE VISUAL D'~GES IN MESOAMERICA " PAST INTO PRESENT A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Antru-opology by Linda Joyce Edlund ..--"""',. i I I I l I June, 1977 ' '---·---------------- ---~·----~-------·····-·--·-··~-~··---·-···-·-··-·---" .----" ·~-·------ 1 ! i I I The Thesis of Linda Joyce Edlund is approved: Lynn.- ~J)• Nason Robert S. Ravicz (nate) · " i I I t California State University, Northridge I !l ! 1 1 l l l ! ! ! L------~~--·-·------------·-------------~----"'--"·----~1 ii r-·-~=---..... --~--------·------------·---·--•m.--1 ~ ACKNOWLE.IXH1ENT S I I am grateful for the helpful suggestions and I1 encouragement of Carol Mackey and Lynn Mason, and of my i committee chairman, Robert Ravicz. I also wish to thank I my parents for their patience and support. I li I I I j i / ; I ! l ---~·----1 iii --·-----·~·=-·---------~--------·---·-·---~··--~--·"~) j 1r t TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • iii Abstract • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • v Introduction • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Preclassic Olmec • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18 Classic Hay a .. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 43 Postclassic Aztecs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 58 Present-Day Mesoamerica • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 73 Conclusion , • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 100 Bibliography • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 103 i I i I t l iv ABSTRACT VISUAL IMAGES IN MESOAMERICA PAST INTO PRESENT • ! by I Linda Joyce Edlund :t-'JB.ster of Arts in Anthropology I I The primary concern of this thesis is to examine I the ancient art of Mesoamerica and to compare its form to I the folk art of Mesoamerica today. In presenting the i "art of Me:Y...ico," art historians typically start with the I fantastic ancient sculptured pieces and then proceed to I the paintings of the Mexican Revolution that hang in I museums today. A premise of this paper is that ancient i cultures produced great sculptures and monumental architecture, but not for the sake of art. In ancient Mesoamerica, art had a religious function. As an analogy to ancient times, a similar kind of art can be found in present-day Mesoamerica in the Indian. populations. It too relates to religious beliefs. I L__ ,.,..,....-~ ......,.~,k£:-" • ~-.,. .....--·-------~-~-------------------- ..---~- .. ---~~...._, ........ _T_.,~,......, .....J v r-------~--" j In this paper, I am suggesting that the essential characteristic of the art of the past is its association with the sacred and that this characteristic continues ! The nature of art in the past will be seen by Olmec, Classic Maya, and Postclassic Aztecs. Aspects focused upon include a discussion of who the artists may I have been, what the art represents, and the treatment it received. This then will be compared to what I believe may be called "art" in present-day Mesoamerica. I! I I I I i I I I ! I I I l ! I I I l ! l '----~-,-·--· ------·-'-·-~-·---~· --~--------,··-.J Vi --~----- INTRODUCTION In presenting the "art o:f Mexico," art historians typically start with the :fantastic ancient sculptured pieces and then proceed to the paintings o:f the Mexican Revolution that hang in museums and galleries today. I believe that by examining the ancient art o:f Mesoamerica, I the same kind o:f art produced in the past can be found in l . j the present. A premise of this paper is that ancient 1 cultures produced great sculptures and monumental I1 architecture, but not :for the sake o:f art. In the past, I as well as the present, art reflects the culture in which I it is found. Moreover, art is a phenomenon o:f culture i I and functions in it (Dark 1967). Generally, it is I accepted that all cultures produce some :form of art, 1 l although many cultures may not have a concept o:f it l I (Mills 1971: 97). While art is not exc1usi vely stimulated by religious· ,:,1 beliefs, "it cannot be denied that the religious element 1 1 has had a strong influence on all' artistic creation" I 1 (¥ruensterberger 1971: 3). Firth ( 1966: 31) says, "The I importance o~ religion cannot be denied in supplying both ' i a stimulus to artistic creation and a rich body o~ ! content, both subject matter and symbolism." I,_..~.~-..,--- ........ ....-..-~-·. ....u---------.-.. ............ -------------------.-----.. ~·'~--_,_,;;. 1 2 In ancient Mesoamerica, art had a religious function. '; In Bernal's (1969a: 83) words: "It was an art of the sacred, done in honor of the gods." As an analogy to ancient times, a similar kind of art can be found in contemporary Mesoamerica in the Indian populations and it too relates to religious beliefs. The purposes of this paper are: first, to examine which cultural institutions are reflected in ancient art and which in art of the past is its association with the sacred and that this characteristic continues to infuse the art of l the present. ! The nature of art in the past can be found in the I l cultures of the Olmec, the Maya, and the Aztecs. By I looking at a sample of the plastic arts of these three I cultures, certain aspects can be seen or at least speculated upon - for example, what the art represents, the treatment it received, and who the artists were. This: ; ; then will be compared to what I suggest may be called the i 1 "art" of the present. I This is not to say that the art will be the same or I identical in the past and present, as there are changes I I from period to period and each culture is distinct. I L_ ____ , ___ c•-·--~·-•-••"""''' 3 r - , -~·- ------~·· .. ·----~-=~~~~--~~~~ l There is also a difference in the way of life of the I peoples. In addition to this, ancient art was dictated by a polity; today, it is not. However, there is a continuity linking the past to the present despite colonization and acculturation, and this is expressed in the art. A clear-cut definition of art that is universally acceptable is difficult to formulate. \Vhile attempting to find a definition, Gerbrandes (1957: 3) commented: For what is art? At first sight one is inclined to suppose that the meaning of this concept must be clear to every one without further ado. Yet when it is attempted to give a concrete answer to the question what art really is, considerable difficulties arise. And indeed, once formulated, it soon proves that the answer is by no means satisfactory to everyone. A creation does not have to be beautiful to be defined as art. A work of art may be admired or appreciated in a museum where it is out of context, but i 1 it can only be understood "in the light of its cultural l origins" (Sieber 1971 : 127). As Gerbrandes ( 1957: 5) 1 suggests: -i No doubt art and beauty are intimately linked, but it is not permissible to conclude from this that art may be equated I with beauty or vice versa. This equation, I though, still so prevalent, contributes greatly to the general confusion when ! evaluating the concept of art. I Perishable or ephermeral works must also be included; I in this definition of art, as they "often reveal the \'/hole l LI _______ _ 4 more permanent works of art, they too reflect the beliefs of the culture of which they are a part. i ! ! i Before proceeding to discuss the components of art l in Mesoamerica, past and present, it is necessary to note two points. First, what is being called "a:z:'t" may not be considered as such by the culture that produced it. As has already been mentioned, objects were not created for the sake of art. Second, because categories such as sculpture and painting have been set up by art historians in western European civilization, there is a tendency to reduce objects to these terms "as if these were automatically the categories which all artists must use 11 (Forge 1973: xv). I have used these categories where I can apply them to the art of the past; however, in showing the continuity with the present, I have used categories which I consider to be their replacements. What may be defined as art in Mesoamerica is made up of several components, or traits, which relate to one another, and sometimes overlap. These can be found in the art of the Olmec, the Maya, and the Aztecs, with parallels in present-day art. These components may be listed as follows: 1. anonymity of artists 2. theme relating to religious beliefs I I 3. ceremonial function I t__ ,______ ~----·------ J 5 4. ritual treatment 5. sacred context The first trait - anonymity of artists - characterizes both ancient and modern art. Although the position of the artist differs in the past and present, I the production of art remains anonymous. In fact Bernal I (1969a: 75) remarks, "We do not know the name of a single i artist in any Mesoamerican culture." It has been suggested that the Olmec artists were I specialists, who_may have travelled from site to site l (Heizer 1971, Kubler 1971) or who were possibly I professional workers maintained by the community (Kubler I 1962). Whatever their position, the specific identities I of these artists are not known. Moreover, their art is I no·l; personal, but relates to the whole society. I It is generally agreed that I~ya artists were I highly-trained and held a special position in society, 1 probably ranking second (skilled sculptors) and third 1.1 ! (specialized artisans) in social class (Weaver 1972: 165). ! i l I Individua~ artists were not important in themselves, but 'i served "as the implement through which the gods and chieftains were honored" (Benson 1967: 93). The art of the Aztecs was attributed to a group of I individuals, even when produced by one man, and no single I name of an artist is known (Bernal 1969a).
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