"Tlazolteotl, the goddess of lust and weaving", black Artwork - Limited Edition of 9

Time and again I searched the literature for a god of weavers to accompany my photograph of a woman weaving the classical wrap-around skirt of the Mixtec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico. Unexpectedly I found Tlazolteotl, the goddess of lust, dirty carnality and fertility, also called the eater of filth. I don’t see the connection of lust and weaving, but maybe the ancient Mexicans did link the two spheres. I have to trust the researchers, some of whom have dedicated their lifes to discover what the ancients meant. For me this pictogram contains too many unexplained invocations and mysteries: Why four hands? One researcher says the goddess wears the skin of a flayed maiden from which dangle hands and feet. In several codices the iconography of the multifaceted Tlazolteotl includes, besides crossroads and instruments of warfare and sacrifice, bands of unspun cotton, spindles and other weaving utensils. This fact motivated a researcher under the tutelage of Guilhem Olivier Durand in 2016 to consider her the main Aztec goddess of weaving. Every time I work on a pictogram the process is different. First I choose an image I like. Then I think of a suitable technique. Possibly I could repeat a known procedure, but every pictogram presents a different challenge. This Laud image is so perfect in style and rich in iconography I show it as it was created more than 500 years ago. Basically I only cleaned up the outlines. After a day of carefully redrawing the complicated shapes I applied the original colors. The elaboration of the five color versions took several days and the longer I worked on the image the more I perceived its magic and powerful mystery. I don’t know how to connect weaving with dirty carnality and adultery, the classic attributes of Tlazolteotl. All I can do is to communicate the exotic beauty of the ancient worldview and to celebrate the fantastic imagination of the Tlacuilo, the author of the codex Laud.

Mixed Media:Digital on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:9

Size:19.7 W x 19.7 H x 0.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.