It is also worth mentioning the Zapotec communities of San Martín Tilcajete and Arrazola, which have always produced the size of wood. The teacher Manuel Jiménez began to popularize the word «Nahuales», For the archaeological and anthropological issue near Monte Albán, although the masks were also known. Years later, during the Venice Biennale of 1972 and with the creation of the National Fund for the Promotion of Crafts (Fonart) by former President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, they realized that this Mexican crafts really had no name. Years later they started calling forward.
The size of wood is the first step in the creation of Alebrijes, the expertise of this famous workshop.Jacobo and María Ángeles ©
AD: How is the process of creating alebrijes and what is your favorite part?
Ra: The workshop has many processes, but the most basic begins with the wood we use, which is called copal. This occurs in certain dry areas of Oaxaca, where these artisan peoples are dedicated to the size of wood. To carve the wood, we use a kind of formons, that is, a metal with a tip rod; However, we also integrate better quality instruments, which takes from 2 to 3 days to 3 or 4 months, depending on the difficulty.
Before painting the wood, we have to dry it because it is very humid, and this process takes one month to 2 years. The resane consists of covering all these cracks that happen in drying, and sanding is practically leaving a smooth and uniform surface. After healing wood by thermal with gasoline, the paint or decoration process begins. The waterproofing is to preserve the wood and the shape of the piece, so all of a single color is painted and from there comes the design process.
Iconography has a structure that is more aligned to the architectural. There are a number of lines or lines that are called «linteles» within archeology and architecture, which make, between each of those holes, there are symbols. Hence the delineated. After the paint, sometimes application of gold leaf is made on the wood, and is completed from anchoning to the entire iconography and varnish. Finally, the inventory, certification and finally, The alebrije goes for sale.