Artist's Blog: Phase 1 & Changeover

With every phase, each group are given Arts Kits. It provides everyone with materials that they can use to document their time whilst on project. All groups have been fantastically creative; Alpha 4 at Carara, experimented with photography and produced some incredible images. 

Using PM Emma's artistic expertise, they also created a beautiful diagram of their adventures at the National Park.

                                      

Alpha 8 at San Ramon used art as a means of engaging with the community. Asking the local children what they wanted to be when they grew up and their dreams for the future, what came out of these questions were wonderful drawings, which will hopefully be turned into a mural for the soon-to-be-completed school.

 During changeover, the venturers got involved with an arts project, which consisted of a lot of clingfilm and plenty of paint. Quite a few went off on Phase 2 still looking very much like paint palettes… it was a messy affair, but then good art always is!

 Here are a few pictures from the venturers who submitted their work for the changeover exhibition: the ‘Rallery’ (we do love puns). 

ALPHA 1: 

Jeff Young

Jeff Young

Jeff Young

ALPHA 3:

Jaq Potts

  

ALPHA 5:

Nick Varney

Paul Davies & Anna Bakker

Matt Heathcote

Holly Howarth

 ALPHA 6:

ALPHA 8:

Alex Bailey-Smith

ALPHA 10:

Alejandra Salas Ruiz & Elpha Perkins

The works have been excellent and I am really looking forward to seeing what’s been done in Phase 2!

Tlaltecuhiti the Earth Monster: 13A’s Mural by Numbers

It is amazing what can be achieved with one white wall, 5 coloured paints, 5 numbers and 15 Raleigh volunteers:

Es increible lo que se puede lograr con una pared blanca, 5 colores de pintura, 5 numeros y 15 voluntarios de Raleigh:

Over the next 16 weeks our fabulous Expedition Artist, Holly, will be running inspiring art projects. Influenced by the environment, the amazingly diverse culture surrounding us and the history of art across Central America, Holly decided that the inaugural project of Expedition 13A would employ the 'artistic talents' of the Advanced Team at Fieldbase. We have recreated indigenous art in the form of the: 'Tlaltecuhiti Mural by Numbers.' 

Durante las proximas 16 semanas, nuestra fabulosa Artista de la Expedicion, Holly, estara poniendo en marcha los proyectos de arte. Tomando influencia del medioambiente, la cultura tan rica y variada, y la historia del arte de America Central, Holly decidio que el proyecto de 13A empleraria los "talentos artisticos"del Equipo Avancado, hubicado en el Fieldbase. Hemos recreado el arte indigeno en la forma del "Mural Tlaltechuhiti" en numeros".

Holly created a foolproof method: every space was numbered 1 for black, 2 for maroon, 3 for red, 4 for yellow and 5 for light yellow. Paint and brushes were left out and you just filled in the space. There were mutterings that paint by numbers may be everyone's new hobby - it is incredibly therapeutic! 

Holly creo un metodo infalible: cada espacio fue numerado de 1 a 5, segun el color necesario. La pintura y los pinceles estaban listos, y lo demas fue facil: llenar el espacio, nada mas. Hubieron murmullos de que pintar por numeros iba a ser el nuevo pasatiempo de todos - es muy terapeutico!

La Historia del mural/ History behind the mural:

The mural is based on a Vallejo Polychrome vessel with Tlaltecuhiti, the Earth Monster from the Nicoya region, Guancaste. Late Period VI [AD1200-1550]. Height 180mm.Collection of Museo de Costa Rica, San José.

El mural esta basado en una vasija Vallejo Polychrome, pintado con Tlaltecuhiti, el Monstro de la Tierra de la region Nicoya, Guanacaste. Periodo [DA 1200-1550]. Altura 180mm. De la Colecion del Museo de Costa Rica, San Jose.

Tlaltecuhtli the Earth Monster

Late Period VI [AD 1200-1550]

Nicoya Region, Guanacaste

Attributed to settlements in the North-West region of Costa Rica, the vessel depicts the deity, Tlaltecuhiti, who originated from Nahauti-speaking communities in Mexico. The design and motifs also suggest Mexico as its place of origin and other examples of this pottery have been found alongside artificially deformed skulls and filed teeth, associated with the Mixtec-Puebla region of the country. 

Atribuido a los asentamientos en la region nor-oeste de Costa Rica, la vasija representa la deidad, Tlaltecuhiti, lo cual origino en las comunidades de Mexico, habladores de Nahauti. El diseno tambien sugere que Mexico es el lugar del origen, y otros ejemplos de ese tipo de alfareria han sido decubiertos, junto a calaveras deformadas y dientes pulidos, los cuales estan asociados con la region Mixtec-puebla.

A Seated Figure 

Late Period V-VI [AD 800-1100]

Nicoya Peninsula

Jaguar Effigy Jar

Late Period VI [AD 1200-1550]

Nicoya Region, Guanacaste

The term ‘polychrome’ is used to describe the decoration of architecture and sculptures through application of patterns and colour. ‘Vallejo’ encompasses the aesthetic and plasticity of the vessel, which in this case, refers to the cream white slip, painted orange, red and brown-black colours; the emphasis on vertical lines and the bulbous shape of the vessel itself which is described as having incurved lips at the top, and abbreviated outcurving on the bottom. 

El termino "polychrome" esta utilizado para describir la decoracion de la arquitectura y esculturas por la aplicacion de los adornos y colores. "Vallejo" inluye la astetica y la plasticidad, lo cual en este caso refiere al area de crema y blanco, pintado en colores naranja, rojo, negro y maron; el enfasis queda en las lineas verticales y la forma bulbosa de la vasija misma, lo cual esta descrito en tener labios en curva por la parte arriba, y curva abreviada por la parte abajo.

In the thirteenth century, permanent settlements and chieftains in the Nicoya region of Costa Rica were controlled within strict feudal, social organisations by two primary groups: the Chorotega-Mangue and the Nicarao. The aesthetic links to the north, in Mexico, is indicative of very established trade and social practices and ceramics such as the Tlaltecuhiti vessel are primary manifestations of these relationships between communities and regions.  

En el siglo trece, los asentamientos permanentes y los jefes tribales de la region Nicoya de Costa Rica fueron controlados dentro de organizaciones sociales estrictas y feudales por dor grupos principales: el Chortega-Mangue y el Nicarao. Los vinculos asteticos al norte, en Mexico, son indicativos de un comercio bien establecido y de costumbres sociales, y ceramicas, tal como las de la vasija Tlaltecuhiti son manifestaciones primarias de estas relaciones entre las comunidades y las regiones.

The result: 13As "Mural Tlaltechuhiti" en numeros"/ 13As Tlaltechuhiti Mural by Numbers