The Psychedelic Art of the Huichol Indians

In a recent editorial I stated ~hat I am not much of a collector. ] At one time, all I collected was saxophone recordings. However, a few years ago I started to collect Huichol Indian yarn paintings. I now have a sizable collection, My friend Anne Geary introduced me to the craft of these Mexican Indians. It was through her that I met Olga and Bob Brooks, from whom I buy the paintings. They run a small import business in Northern California. They purchase the paintings from a merchant in Mexico who buys them from the Indians. At present my collection numbers over 40 paintings, including two that are eight-feet long. They light up my apartment and my life. My collection is so large that I needed some help in cataloging it, So Olga Brooks recently translated for me the “Spanish-Indian” handwritten notes on the back of each painting, which explain the painting’s symbolism. For example, one large painting about the Huichol children is enhanced by this description: “The children take an imaginary trip to the land of peyote at the feast of the com and squash. They sit out in the sun on the laps of their mothers while the shaman recounts the entire imaginary pilgrimage, He uses the b~t}erfly to symbolically lead them to Wmkuta. ” The yarn paintings are created by pressing strands of colorful yarn into sunwarmed beeswax spread over plywood. The Huichols use extremely bright, contrasting colors, A series of these paintings on a wall creates a psychedelic vision not unlike that which originally inspired the artist. I December 24-31, 1979