Sept/Oct Gazette: Art from a Land of Sun and Shadows

Art from the Land of Sun and Shadows continued
Pollak has a special place in his heart for the votive offerings known as retablos, which are usually oils painted on tin, and most often the work of anonymous artists commissioned to depict a particular event. While the text of many retablos is faded, Pollak writes in an essay for the catalogue, “what remains is the freshness of the experience and the profound faith in divine intervention applied and received.”
	“The retablos stand on their own,” he says. “It’s hard to explain what the appeal is—I don’t think it’s visual, really. It’s the overall thing. There are actually people in Mexico today that have the utmost faith in these retablos. They’re not in the cities; they’re out in the country. They believe strongly that retablos really work—that if you have a problem, there’s a superior being you can appeal to that will intervene, save your life and help you. The faith of the Mexican is an overwhelming thing, and to have that faith displayed in a way that is collectible adds an extra dimension. “Incidentally, retablos are coming into their own,” he adds. “I never paid over $50 for a retablo. Now they’re auctioning off in the thousands. But they were hard to find, the good ones. We spent a lot of time looking for them, and one at a time, we were able to get them.” Time—and money—well spent.
Top: An Assault, artist unknown. (Señor Ramos Mendosa lets it be known that, as he was arriving home, he was attacked and stabbed by bandits. He prayed to the Virgin of Guadulupe for strength. Just then, a non-functioning streetlight came on and his assailants fled.) Above: The Couple, ca.1924, by José Clemente Orozco; right: Girl Selling Ducks, 1956, by Alfredo Zalce.

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