Practising Aesthetics: Artisanal Production and Politics in a Woodcarving Village in Oaxaca, Mexico
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The London School of Economics and Political Science Practising Aesthetics: Artisanal production and politics in a woodcarving village in Oaxaca, Mexico Alanna Cant Thesis submitted to the Department of Anthropology of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy London, July 2012 1 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare this thesis consists of 95,510 words. 2 Abstract The cultural tourism industry, on which the economy of the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca depends, is focused primarily on the promotion of the pre-Hispanic and colonial histories of the region, as well as the “traditional” lifeways of its contemporary population. Key sites within this tourism industry are the many craft villages that dot the countryside, where tourists can encounter and consume apparently traditional crafts made in small family workshops. Despite touristic and state-driven nationalistic discourses that frame craftwork as the materialisation of long standing cultural traditions, Oaxacan woodcarvings, sometimes known as “alebrijes,” are of recent invention and have rapidly become the economic mainstay of the field site, San Martín Tilcajete. While previous research has investigated the political economy and cultural politics of Oaxacan craft production, this thesis engages with important debates surrounding materiality, aesthetics and the production of art. Through ethnographic data from fieldwork with artisans in San Martín Tilcajete, I argue throughout the thesis that “aesthetics” can be understood anthropologically as an on- going practice in which a variety of actors are engaged. The chapters address questions that fall within three general themes: (1) artisans’ aesthetic practice, including questions of how production is experienced aesthetically and conceptualisations of authorship, style and skill; (2) how different actors’ aesthetic sensibilities produce and reproduce the woodcarvings as a genre; and (3) the political consequences of these aesthetic practices for issues of competition, community politics, belonging and emergent understandings of aesthetic ownership, framed in terms of intellectual property. In making these arguments, the thesis also charts the nature of contemporary artisanal work from the micro-level of household workshops, to international experiences of artisans in the ethnic art markets in the United States, and to large-scale issues of the globalisation of culture. 3 Dedication To my parents, who told us that girls can do anything they want, And to my sisters, who believed them. 4 Acknowledgements: The research for this PhD was made possible by a very generous grant from the Emslie Horniman Fund of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I am grateful to the fund’s trustees for their support of my research and their continued commitment to student research in social anthropology. It is impossible to express in a few short lines the gratitude I have for the many people who have been vital to the completion of my thesis. Above all, I would like to thank the people of San Martín Tilcajete, especially the artisans and their families with whom I worked directly. Anyone who has had the good fortune of visiting San Martín will know that the people of this community are quick to open their workshops, homes and kitchens to anyone who has an interest in learning about their work and lives. I especially would like to thank the wonderful family (R, S, M and J) who opened their home to me and helped me navigate the currents of life in San Martín; they showed me the very real auras of woodcarvings. I would like to acknowledge the important and lasting contribution of Alvin and Arlene Starkman, who are now like family to me. Alvin has contributed so much enthusiasm, expertise and insight into this work that I am sure it could not have progressed without him. Arlene has given me much guidance on the emotional side of this process, and I thank their daughter Sarah for sharing her wonderful family with me. My research would have been infinitely more difficult without their constant council, support, friendship, love, and occasional dirty martinis and mezcalitos. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Eric Monrroy Pérez who taught me so much about families, traditions and society in Oaxaca. Through his thoughtful observations, I occasionally glimpsed my own ideas through the lens of Oaxacan culture, and his kindness and patience has always helped me immensely. My thesis also bears the indelible fingerprints of my good friend Emiliano Zolla Márquez who has always challenged my “Anglo-Saxon” preconceptions about the world. Also in Oaxaca, I had the rare good fortune to meet two wonderful and inspiring women, Jayne Howell and Ronda Brulotte, who have welcomed me warmly into the circle of Oaxacanist anthropology. In the United Kingdom I thank my supervisors, Matthew Engelke and Barbara Bodenhorn who have with patience and great care read many versions of this manuscript. With her almost intuitive understanding of Oaxaca and its people, Barbara continually reminded me to write about what makes Oaxaca unique and colourful, and Matthew always encouraged me to challenge myself theoretically and to think about the big picture and big ideas. Mathijs Pelkmans, Charles Stafford and Laura Bear also read early chapters of the thesis, and provided welcomed guidance about how to proceed. 5 For their general assistance and kindness, I thank Tom Hinrichsen, Camilla Griffiths, Deborah James and especially Yan Hinrichsen, who take such good care of LSE’s students. I am also grateful for the friendship and support of so many of my colleagues. Amongst the crowd of intelligent and wonderful people I’ve met on the PhD programme, I am especially grateful to Miranda Sheild-Johansson, Max Bolt, Dave Robinson, Elizabeth Frantz, Cathrine Furberg Moe, Gustavo Barbosa, Aude Michelet, Michael Hoffmann, Agnes Hann, Zorana Milicevic, Matt Wilde, Ana Gutierrez, Indira Arumugam, Sitna Quiroz and the incomparable Thomas Boylston. I cannot explain the great influence of the late Olivia Harris on this work. Olivia inspired me and so many others to give ourselves over to the ethnographic experience, and to approach our work with sharp minds and kind hearts. As I was preparing for fieldwork, Olivia insisted I read Walter Benjamin’s essays on art; at the time, I couldn’t understand how they related to my research, but since have become a cornerstone of my work. Anyone who knew Olivia would not be surprised. To my parents, I owe a lifetime’s worth of gratitude for always encouraging me in the great variety of things that have caught my interest through the years, and without whom I genuinely could not have completed this project – financially or otherwise! Lastly, to Andrew Sanchez, who has spent many hours reading and discussing my work. Andrew has contributed to this thesis through his many subtle and insightful comments on the nature of art and art production, value and social change. He has also been an important source of emotional support through the long writing process. He is always right where I need him to be. 6 Table of Contents Abstract 3 Acknowledgements 5 Table of Contents 7 List of Figures 9 Maps 10 List of Acronyms 12 Pronunciation Guide 14 Introduction Oaxacan Woodcarvings: The Aestheticisation of a Genre 17 Anthropology and the problem of aesthetics 26 Oaxacan woodcarvings as genre: theorising an “aesthetic field” 31 The aura of artworks as aesthetic capital 38 The aesthetics of nation: artesanías in Oaxaca 49 Aesthetics of ethnic art: Oaxacan woodcarvings in the American Southwest 59 Outline of thesis 65 My research: methods and challenges 69 Chapter One “There aren’t many roads out of San Martín” Tourism, Politics and Production in Oaxaca 79 The many roads into San Martín 79 The anthropology of craft in Mexico: culture, campesinos and the political economy of production 84 Sketching the outlines: tourism and politics in the state of Oaxaca 94 The field site: San Martín Tilcajete 104 History, workshops and styles of Oaxacan woodcarvings 110 Chapter Two Aura, Artisanship and Authorship: Engagement and Detachment in the Workshops of San Martín 125 Reading the auras of carvings: production, producers and viewers 130 Engagement and detachment in artisanal work 142 Styles and signatures: detachments and connections t in authorship 155 Chapter Three Artesanías into Ethnic Art: The shifting aesthetic field of Oaxacan woodcarvings 168 The aesthetic authority of Tileño Artisans 171 Tileño aesthetic practice in the field of Oaxacan woodcarving 175 The aesthetic field and communities of practice 187 The aesthetics of artesanías: woodcarvings in and of the nation 192 New aesthetic practices: the “ethnicisation” of Oaxacan woodcarvings 200 7 Chapter Four Competition and Privatisation: The Politics of Aestheticisation in San Martín 213 Names and histories: competition in San Martín