|
|
Skeleton Story
|
|
Tina "Tamale" Ramos
|
|
Last Updated on October, 22 2008 at 12:59 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| I am obsessed with Días de los Muertos
calaveras, or Days of the Dead skeletons, which may seem strange to
some, but I am who I am. My grandmother, who founded my business, La
Borinqueña, was born on Día de los Muertos. I build a Day of the Dead
altar at work every October. It’s filled with photos, trinkets and
favorite images of things for those who have passed on in life but
remain in my heart |
Photo By Eduardo Pineda
I am obsessed with Días de los Muertos calaveras, or Days of the Dead skeletons, which may seem strange to some, but I am who I am. My grandmother, who founded my business, La Borinqueña, was born on Día de los Muertos. I build a Day of the Dead altar at work every October. It’s filled with photos, trinkets and favorite images of things for those who have passed on in life but remain in my heart.
The history of this holiday celebrated from October 31 to November 2 goes back centuries. Following the Spanish invasion of Mexico in the 16th century, Catholic priests deemed traditional rites honoring the dead to be pagan idolatry, the indigenous festivals were forced into a Catholic mold, and given the names of existing Catholic holy days, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Yet people maintained their own traditions. It hasn't been until the last decade or so that many Latinos in the United States have reconnected with the ancient, pre-Colombian roots of the holiday. Many Americans have discovered these special days of celebrating those who came before us with loud and colorful art, love, food, and spirituality mixed with a bit of melancholy.
I am Mexican American. I was born in Oakland, and I appreciate this odd mishmash of "American culture,” whatever that means. English is my first language. I am also drawn to my Latino heritage. I’ve always enjoyed hearing stories about my ancestors through oral histories and looking at photos going back a few generations. I am fluent in Spanglish, love La Virgen de Guadalupe and cannot imagine my life without corn, rice or beans. I also have a lot of dead people in my life.
I have a photograph of myself taken late last year that I really like. It's of me at work holding a plate of tamales with our shop in the background. Generally, in order to be portrayed as a calavera one must be dead, but keep in mind that I'm American. Rules don't necessarily apply. I want to commission a portrait, a modern image directly translated into an old school muerto painting. I ask Rachel Anne Palacios, artist and fellow lover of Día de los Muertos, if she can recommend someone.
Enter Joaquín Alejandro Newman, co-founder of the Forrealism Movement and an amazing artist. A couple of conversations later I’ve heard what he has to say about his art, Oakland, Latino heritage and culture as well as his community work. We have lots in common, trying to find that special blend of our cultures that works for us. He agrees to create my vision.
Newman has an interesting view of his own art. He calls his creations, his “cultural hip hop collage.” He enjoys conveying his mixed heritage and love of expression through art on many different levels. He is a working artist taking on commission pieces that range from small paintings to murals.
The painting Newman delivers is called Tina Tamale Calavera. So much detail especially the little touches that make me chuckle like making the Abuelita on the box of Mexican chocolate a calaca, too.
Newman does many different styles of artwork and I especially like his muerto pop-art. Muertos are also a part of Newman’s everyday life since he is a member of the Oakland Museum’s Días de los Muertos Advisory Committee. This group works through all the seasons to put together the amazing community celebration that occurs one day a year.
This year’s 15th annual exhibition and community celebration Evolution of a Sacred Space: Días de los Muertos 2008 will take place at the museum October 25. It’s a fun filled day of craft activities, food, performers, a market (mercado), and ceremonial procession into the museum gardens. My restaurant’s traveling food booth, Tamale Girl, is participating as a food vendor that day.
This year’s curator, Fernando Hernández, as well as the other artists participating really made the effort to show individual personal history and culture in the exhibit. The main artwork in the exhibit is the Columbarium, designed and coordinated by Hernández with the East Bay Art Collective (EBAC). Each EBAC participant created an altar in an 11 x 17-inch box. The boxes when backlit glow like stained glass similar to a wall of niches at a cemetery where funerary urns are kept behind glass windows. There are many other altars/ofrendas included in the exhibit from seasoned artists to young people depicting what los Días de los Muertos means to each person.
The beauty of this holiday is that anyone can be celebrated elaborately or simply. A photo, some marigolds perhaps a sugar skull can feel like enough. To others the favorite things of the deceased loved ones, pan de muerto, and perhaps a string of papel picado, colorful cut out tissue paper, are in order. It’s memories manifesting themselves in however your mind translates them that makes this a special time of year. My hope that Días de los Muertos will become a true American holiday, not mainstreamed, not diluted, a living Day of the Dead.
15th Annual Celebration for the Days of the Dead
Saturday, October 25, 2008
12-5pm Celebration Free/admission to exhibit half price all day
Oakland Museum
museumca.org
1000 Oak Street
Forrealism.com
Joaquín Alejandro Newman
A vision for the Future of Indigenous Arts
La Borinqueña Mex-icatessen & Specialty Shop
TamaleGirl.com
582 – 7th Street Old Oakland
Days of the Dead altar supplies, tamales & more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RECOMMEND
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OAKLAND
THE GOOD LIFE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|