Home Altars of Mexico
Home Altars of Mexico by Ramón Gutiérrez, published by Thames & Hudson in 1997, presents a unique exploration of the home altars found in rural Mexican communities. This edition features 138 pages of large-format color photographs that capture the intricate details of these altars, known as altarcitos, which serve as focal points in the homes of families across various indigenous groups. The book reflects the author’s decade-long journey through the central highlands and southern states of Mexico, where he, along with artist Dawn Southworth and their children, gained rare access to the intimate spaces of these communities.
Readers will find a rich combination of visual and textual elements, as the essays accompanying the photographs provide cultural and historical context to the practice of creating domestic altars. The work links ancient traditions with contemporary customs, offering insights into the significance of these altars within the realms of worship and devotion. With subjects spanning Catholicism, rites and ceremonies, and the intersection of art and spirituality, this book serves as both a visual feast and an informative resource for those interested in the religious and cultural practices of Mexico.
Official synopsis Publisher
For over a decade, Dana Salvo has traveled throughout the central highlands and southern states of Mexico with artist Dawn Southworth and their young children, Jahna and Simone. They have visited the Purepechan Indians in Michoacan, the Chamulan and Zinacantan tribes in Chiapas, the Maya of the Yucatan peninsula, and several other isolated groups in the countryside. Welcomed into the homes of these rural peoples as few outsiders have been before, Salvo was permitted the rare privilege of photographing the home environments of these families. Central to each interior was the altarcito, or home altar. These dazzling large-format color photographs depict the altars in all their glory and meticulous detail. The essays provide the cultural and historic background to the practice of constructing domestic altars, linking the ancient traditions with modern customs.
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