Primitive Painting

Surreal ....cont'd

Zuni Mysticism

Dancehall of The Dead
29 x 20 inches
Acrylic on wood, metal sculpture on the frames. $1800.

This myth parallels the Jacob and Isaac myth, but carries it much further. The Zunis sacrificed children to the gods by drowning them in the river. However, it came to pass that the children were changed into water creatures. They swam to a land called the Dancehall of the Dead where they became the first Katcinas. They returned during the festivals of planting, harvest etc., but the people wanted to return to the Dancehall with them. They had to die to do this. The solution: the Katcinas told the elders to choose the most virtuous and enlightened of their group to don masks designed to look like the Katcinas. These masked representatives replaced the Katcinas in the rituals. The Katcinas never returned in person, only in the spirit held by their representatives. The Katcinas have the wisdom of ancestors but they also have the power to bring rain, make crops bountiful, cure illnesses, and more.

Giclee prints are available on canvas and paper.
Although Digitally produced, the colors have been corrected
and additional painting has been added to the print by the artist
 Call 305-573-5542 or e-mail alquilar@hotmail.com for information