Crafting Mexico

After Mexico’s revolution of 1910–1920, intellectuals sought to forge a unified cultural nation out of the country’s diverse populace. Their efforts resulted in an “ethnicized” interpretation of Mexicanness that intentionally incorporated elements of folk and indigenous culture. In this rich history, Rick A. López explains how thinkers and artists, including the anthropologist Manuel Gamio, the composer Carlos Chávez, the educator Moisés Sáenz, the painter Diego Rivera, and many less-known figures, formulated and promoted a notion of nationhood in which previously denigrated vernacular arts—dance, music, and handicrafts such as textiles, basketry, ceramics, wooden toys, and ritual masks—came to be seen as symbolic of Mexico’s modernity and national distinctiveness. López examines how the nationalist project intersected with transnational intellectual and artistic currents, as well as how it was adapted in rural communities. He provides an in-depth account of artisanal practices in the village of Olinalá, located in the mountainous southern state of Guerrero. Since the 1920s, Olinalá has been renowned for its lacquered boxes and gourds, which have been considered to be among the “most Mexican” of the nation’s arts. Crafting Mexico illuminates the role of cultural politics and visual production in Mexico’s transformation from a regionally and culturally fragmented country into a modern nation-state with an inclusive and compelling national identity.

“Crafting Mexico is an important and original contribution to the literature onvisual arts in national ideologies. The detailed history, sophisticated analyses, intriguing case studies, and wonderful black and white and color photographs make this book essential to the library of anyone interested in Mexican popular art. “ - Michael Chibnik, Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology, “Crafting México is a major contribution to the growing literature on nation, revolution, and indigenismo in postrevolutionary Mexico. . . . This fascinating and richly illustrated book is a fitting testimony to over a decade of exhaustive research and careful writing. It will surely serve as a model for future work.” - Stephen E. Lewis, The Americas, “Crafting Mexico is an impressive work of cultural and intellectual historythat is unique in analyzing the intersection of grassroots practices withintellectual currents. It should gain an audience among scholars of stateformation beyond Mexico or Latin America.” - Robert F. Alegre, History: Reviews of New Books, “Rick A. López tells the fascinating story of how folk art produced by anonymous potters, weavers, and wood carvers became a ‘proud symbol of Mexico’s authentic national identity’ (p. 2). His excellent monograph advances our understanding of Mexico’s cultural revolution—the state policies, artistic movements, and commercial developments that transformed a regionally fragmented postwar society into a unified nationstate with an ethnically inclusive national identity.” - Michael Snodgrass, American Historical Review, “Crafting Mexico reminds us that quality scholarship does not resort to sweeping generalizations but rather assesses what is often a complex situation case by case. It is an impressive interdisciplinary study that adds much to our appreciation of modern Mexican culture and society.” - Andrew Grant Wood, Hispanic American Historical Review

Rick A. López is Associate Professor of History at Amherst College.