Chispas! - a Spanish word that means a spark or a very small diamond - refers in this exhibit to the gem-like quality of the works of art, the artistic spark of creativity, and the friction that occurs as Hispanic art from northern New Mexico breaks into the mainstream market. The works in Chispas! are linked to the 400-year tradition of art in Hispanic New Mexico, but each displays departures from traditional forms or motifs. "Each artist brings his or her own unique vision. There is not a reliance upon the past ... When I create a weaving or the other artists create, we don't think 'does this fit within my culture?' We don't feel root bound. Yet, I can't create a piece without consciously realizing who I am. I'm not in a void. I am the link," says Teresa Archuleta-Sagel about herself and other artists whose works are represented in the exhibit. Archuleta-Sagel and fellow artists Luis Tapia and Charles Carrillo have collaborated with the staff of the Heard Museum, helping to shape the scope and theme of the Chispas! Exhibit. The works of these three artist, along with those of other talented contemporary Hispanic artists, make up the exhibit--From the exhibition catalogue, Chispas! Cultural Warriors of New Mexico, 1992. Includes publication photographs, object photos, contact prints, object transparencies and deinstallation slides, contact prints and negatives.
