Monday, January 30, 2012

Mexican Altar Of The Dead



"Frida Kahlo: Her Photos"
Exhibition at the City Museum, Lisbon


My contribution to Julie's Taphophile Tragics

36 comments:

Wayne said...

I find these displays fascinating. I like the colors and details.

Olivier said...

j'adore cette idee, et tout le folklore qu'il y autour, c'est tres beau

Lowell said...

Fantastic photos of a celebration I've never been able to understand unless it is all about laughing at death! But deep down it must stem from a fear of death. Quite incredible!

Have a great week, my friend!

Oh, where's the taco stand? :-)

Kate said...

Yup, Julie is really getting into taphophile history, isn't she. Glad that she inspired you to photo this Day of the Dead medley. Frida Kahlo is perfect subject for this celebration.

Sondra said...

HOW colorful...I especially admire that handmade scarf on the table!!

Babzy.B said...

how i'd like to see this exhibition !!! :)

Valladolid Daily Photo said...

Interesting altar...

Sharon said...

I think this is the largest day of the dead alter I've ever seen. Very colorful!

magiceye said...

eerie and your pics have captured the ambiance wonderfully!

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Brilliant JM. The prettiest looking skulls I've ever seen. Reminds me of the makeup Aimee wore for Halloween.

LadyFi said...

I do like those sugar skulls!

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

My wife, Julie, will love this She has a Dia de los Muertos collection in her home office.

Tanya Breese said...

i think these are so cool....love how colorful they are!

Stickup Artist said...

Well, of course I love these and am thrilled to see the tradition represented in a museum. The Hollywood Forever Cemetery has an amazing Dia De Los Muertos every Halloween that is one of the most gorgeous events hosted in Los Angeles every year.

Sylvia K said...

What a colorful, way to honor the dead! It does indeed look a bit like Halloween! Wonderful captures as always, JM!

Sylvia

Gemma Wiseman said...

This memorial altar is huge! I wonder if there is anything symbolic in the powerful dominance of yellow round this altar! And such an artistic touch to the skull with those wavy black lines!

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

Great photos of this amazing custom.

crocrodyl said...

Really fascinating!

cieldequimper said...

I just love how cheerful it is. Sounds a bit strange saying cheerful about death but still...

Julie said...

Me with my head stuck firmly in the sand, I did not know about the 'Dia de Los Muertos', but I love it. This one for Kahlo is wonderful. I wonder if the preponderance of yellow here, is an artisitc touch for the exhibition, or whether it echoes the very colourful works of Kahlo herself. She was a wonderful, though eccentric, artist.

It does look like an offering to the Gods of Death, a peace offering, in placation. A bit like the ancient Egyptians stuffing things into graves for the departed to take on their journey across the river.

I love this, Jose. Such a mind-expander for me. Now I wonder where Kahlo herself is interred?

Just went out to find the answer for myself, and so twenty minutes later ... if you are interested, read this site ... http://www.fridakahlofans.com/biobrief.html

It is pretty hair-raising!

You're a pleasure to blog with, Jose. Love your work.

VP said...

Probably funny is not the right adjective for this, but it is the first that comes to my mind!

Dianne said...

Amazing vibrant colours ... I guess we are so used to seeing dark subdued colourings with the subtle addition of flowers.

Halcyon said...

I find this Mexican tradition really interesting. Lots of nice things on display here.

Ann said...

this is something I've always wanted to experience in situ.

Jack said...

Excellent, JM. It just feels right for the Mexican culture.

Randy said...

Lucky you! I would have loved to have seen this.

Bob Crowe said...

You don't celebrate El Dia de los Muertos in Portugal, do you? The picture of Frieda Kahlo is creepy in this context. Her home and now museum in Mexico City is exuberant and has no morbid details.

Peter said...

Those skulls look pretty macabre!

Oakland Daily Photo said...

The Day of the Dead iconography is always so compelling. Is this a current exhibit or from October? Because we have a large Latino population in Oakland, El día de los muertos is a big deal. And it's amazing how many people dress up for Halloween as Frida Kahlo.

tapirgal said...

A wonderful post for this meme. The colors and imagery are so unique to The Mexican culture. Artistic and so different from my culture. I love the colorful display here.

Joan Elizabeth said...

Mexican's sure do colour.

biebkriebels said...

This looks very different of the way I am used to visit a grave. Very special, colourful and loving.

CaT said...

how colorful!

diane b said...

Sure is different and colourful.

Unknown said...

Tuvo que ser una exposición de lo más bonita.

Virginia said...

Oh our Day of the Dead celebration here in B'ham always has some tributes to Frida!
V