" Xochiquetzal harassed " brown. Artwork - Limited Edition of 9

Rarely codices illustrate what ancient Mexicans considered the worst sins: drunkenness, lust and cowardice on the battlefield. In search of harmony and joy I chose more than a decade ago this pictogram of a dancer, who caresses Xochiquetzal, the goddess of beauty, flowers and erotic pleasure. Now, in 2022, on revisiting the image, I realize that it does not represent harmony and pleasure, but rather a sexual harassment of Xochiquetzal. The invocation of the goddess with a quetzal, the symbol of sustenance and nobility, pulls the hair of the wrongdoer, and the naked goddess herself raises a hand to stop him. Another sign of misfortune is the coral snake, the symbol of sexual vice that emerges from the maxtlatl (loincloth) of the dancer. Quoting Johannes Neurath, a contemporary expert on Mexican codices: “These beings (the gods) do not simply exist, they become. To portray them on a page is to establish a presence that allows a type of contact or coexistence with them… And beware! These are also dangerous beings. To approach them entails preliminary rituals of purification and preparation.” All the above indicates that the dancer was not prepared for an encounter with Xochiquetzal. What I mistook for caressing the goddess perceived as harassment. In the late sixties I was privileged to witness and capture in Mixtec Indian communities what Carlos Montemayor described in 2009 as: “The nudity of the female body is seen without Western malice.” I include this pictogram in a new edition of the book, not to celebrate harassment, but perhaps to illustrate that ancient Mexicans were as drawn to beauty and sex appeal as we are. The 50 cm print comes in a limited edition of 9. Title, author and year of manufacture are included on the print. The print comes with a 1 cm white border. Made to order on archival cotton paper in 10 days plus shipping. For open edition inkjet prints in custom size please contact mario.mutschlechner@gmail.com

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.