Passing of Oral Traditions
Zuni Community Art Project
After meeting with the Tribal Council, sharing slides at the library, senior center, public meeting in the Tribal Council Office and ZEE (Zuni Entrepreneurial Enterprise) I was invited to stay in Zuni and do an art project.
Group discussion and vote decided to make a permanent outside sculpture at the ZEE Recycle Center.
The project will be The Passing of Oral Traditions. This theme was chosen because Zuni language is not written, all is passed down from the elders to their young.
ZEE program mission: To provide effective and comprehensive vocational training , meaningful employment opportunities, and needed independent living skills for the developmentally disabled adults. They run the Recycling Program.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Grandmother and Child. The grandmother will be made of materials designed to look as if she is dressed in traditional clothes. The boy will be made of odd tools, and toys. The Zuni woman’s traditional clothes are a colorful dress hemmed below the knee, with long sleeves and lacy decorations around the bottom. On the top of this is a ‘Manta’, which is a black woven material designed to go over one shoulder. Large turquoise pins are worn on the right shoulder and side of the skirt of the manta. Around the waist is a woven colorful sash belt. White moccasins are worn with white leather leg wraps. Ear rings, a fine squash blossom necklace, bracelets and rings are also worn. Her long hair is tied in an elongated knot at the back of the neck wrapped in fabric.
MATERIALS
Some materials used in this project were collected from a nearby dump, others were collected by the recycling center.
material
usage
rusted cans
face details / mouths
window screen
texture over aluminum cans for leggings
rusted iron skillets
grandmother back of head/hair
bailing wire
sculpting hands, feet and fastening everything
bicycle parts
grandmother’s nose, boys suspenders, boy shirt
old stove pipe
faces
old ironing board
grandmother’s fancy scarf
old nails
necklace jewelery
aluminum cans
leggings and dress lace
broken toys
boy
tin cans
red dress under manta
black phone cable
manta
plastic coated phone wires
colorful woven belt
tire inner tubes
manta and boy’s hair
colorful enameled pots
jewelery
COLORS AND TEXTURES
Thinking about the future of the piece, how will the materials change with weather over the years?
Tin cans will rust to brown
Aluminum does not rust, so it will just dull
Printed metal cans i.e coffee cans used for the dress will rust at a much slower rate, they will have some sort of color and pattern for several years.
Rubber from tire tubes and phone cable will stay black and has ~300+ yrs life
Colorful plastic coated phone wires, plastic will eventually crack and fall off, but inside is copper wire, which will have it’s own green tint.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
To start, armatures of angle iron were welded by the automotive class.
Work stations were set up to make different parts. Clients and helpers sorted, cleaned, shaped, and wove individual elements. Holly assembled all the little pieces into the sculptures.
Station 1- ALUMINUM CANS. Wash, cut open and trim to rectangles. USE: leggings and dress trim.
Station 2 - TIN CANS. Sorted, lids removed and cut to rectangles, washed, sharp edges turned under. USE: Dress and fancy scarf patterns.
Station 3 - BAILING WIRE. Heaps of wire patiently untangled. USE: put everything together.
Station 4 - ENDS OF ALUMINUM CANS. Hammered so sharp ends were turned down, some were flattened or folded. USE: dress decorations, jewelry, fancy scarf
Station 5 - 8 ft x 4ft LOOM made to weave Manta. The warp was black phone cable. For the weft, metal strapping and bicycle tubes were woven.
Station 6 - Making Jewelery....a little of everything
Station 7 - 8 ft x 6 inch LOOM made to weave the sash belt. The warp was black phone cable. For the weft, colored phone wires were washed and woven.
Station 8 - FANCY SCARF. An old ironing board wand baby’s high chair tray were decorated with different wires, Nails made the fringe. Folded screen made ruffles.
CONCLUSION
In addition to creating a fun sculpture that represents recycling and reuse, many new ideas evolved. Involving the clients in the construction of the sculptures brought out hidden talents and interests. Janitor, cooking and recycling crews had the opportunity to work side by side. They got to know each other a lot better and shared many laughs together.
Staff believed this project would add several new dimensions to the clients daily work routine in the future. Introducing weaving to the clients was so successful that the staff planned to build some looms so they could learn traditional weaving. it was discovered that one client that was easily upset in much calmer working outside. Plans are to landscape the area around the sculpture, fence it in and install permanent picnic tables. This will provide a nice space for regular outside activities, and an eating area for monthly birthday parties. The clients also want to keep in touch. This will be a good way for them to practice their reading and letter writing skills.
Though most of the time was focused on working with ZEE clients, several community members also got involved. The middle school special education teacher is organizing a recycling art exhibit. She will bring her students to the ZEE to see the sculptures, and one of her students from the neighborhood that helped us a lot will be her chief assistant. The high school librarian attended a special three week course on the Internet . Now she is prepared and excited to help students participate in Project New Mexico and follow us on the Internet.