I do not know for sure whether this effort at envisioning a more wholesome world will make any difference in the eventual course of things . However , knowing how much Mother Earth has given me in the way of physical , intellectual and spiritual nourishment and life , I could do nothing less than pay homage to her in paint at this utmost critical moment of history .
was engaging with the passersby His elation over the presence of for whom the mural began to take an indigenous-themed mural in on multiple levels of meanings . the very center of town , could not Lee , a Tewa Pueblo relative of mine have been more heartfelt . who spotted me painting the mural In another instance , a tall , on a side street while riding in his thin and lonely middle-aged man truck , stopped by for a quick hello . who had just gotten off the bus to However , in no time he was busy seek his fortune in our rough and lending me a hand by skillfully rendering the ceremonial garb worn out of the corner of his eye , the
tumble town was walking by , when
by female Pueblo Indian dancers . brilliance of the mural caught his attention and beckoned him to come closer . He confided that the unexpected appearance of the mural and its lone muralist hard at work was so touching and other-worldly that it nearly brought him to tears . Indeed , in the midst of his sadness and trepidation , it had filled him with excitement , hope and joy ; and not just for himself but for the world at large .
I do not know for sure whether this effort at envisioning a more wholesome world will make any difference in the eventual course of things . However , knowing how much Mother Earth has given me in the way of physical , intellectual and spiritual nourishment and life , I could do nothing less than pay homage to her in paint at this utmost critical moment of history .
In paying tribute to her , it may not matter if all is lost and as a species , we are swept away to the sea from which we came . What may matter , is that we did not forfeit the opportunity to express our deepest love , gratitude and regard for the Earth to whom we uncategorically belong . Then again , if we all do our part , each in the way we best know how , we might succeed in adverting the wholesale planetary destruction that many of us fear will come , and perhaps be present for the birthing of a sublime new world with a deeply caring and more conscious humanity .
Alejandro López was born and raised on a small farm in Santa Cruz , New Mexico , a place he still inhabits and farms . As a young man he began to document in various media the agrarian culture of his region , a practice that he continues to this day . He is author of Hispanic Folk Arts and the Environment of the Río Grande , a K-12 folk arts curriculum . alej @ cybermesa . com
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