Guadalupe Hermosillo Escobar
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Guadalupe Hermisillo Escobar of Chiapas preserves a fading folk art tradition by continuing to hand forge a unique form of religious art; rooftop wrought-iron crosses. The crosses display a wide mix of both Christian and indigenous symbols.
Guadalupe employs techniques introduced by the Spaniards in the 1500s. He produces iron crosses that are most commonly used as decorative house blessings. The crosses were first used as a show of religious fervor and as a symbol of the Passion of Christ during Holy Week.
Fifteen years ago, Guadalupe turned to metalwork, focusing on the forging and hammering of iron. His workshop is at home and with the help of family members, he produces a great variety of decorative and utilitarian items and also makes all the steel instruments he uses in shaping the metal.
Over the years, he has won many awards for his work. He buys his metals (iron, tin and bronze) by the kilogram, generally in the form of industrial waste. As his work begins, he heats the metal in his forge, then begins to hammer it over the appropriate shaped anvil with mallets and hammers of different shapes. This is a slow process but eventually Guadalupe wins the battle over the metal and it takes on a new shape.
There is increasing pressure on the herreros, or traditional ironworkers, to forge crosses that fit the tastes of the tourist trade. Crosses can still be seen on roofs of San Cristóbal, Chiapas. House Blessing (Cruces de Casa) is still used throughout Latin America, where the protection of home, family, and animals is sought by means of roof crosses, which are installed on the ridgepole at a roof-raising. Among the Zinacantan of Chiapas, Mexico, the crosses of various materials are adorned or replaced periodically, an event which is part of a larger religious celebration. They are placed on the roofs of tiled houses, jammed into a cross-beam through the tiles and indicated a family of faith and a belief in a protective power over the house. They are also seen on local church steeples, water springs, town entrances and many other local sites.
Humans have always used symbols as instruments of knowledge and as means of expression. One of our most persistent and ancient symbols is that of the Cross, which is both the classic cosmic symbol and the symbol of universal man. Its vertical line is considered male and spiritual; its horizontal line, female and earthly. It is the symbol of duality and the union of opposites.
The Indians of the Americas used the Greek-style cross to represent the sun, the morning star and the four directions. It was their principal cosmological symbol, and it remains so today. Many of the Indian crosses contain combinations of old and new symbols, such as the sacred squash blossom motif, the dragonfly, and the swastika. Among the Maya, the cross is a symbol of Quetzalcoatl, in whose arms were birds and plants representing the four seasons, thus associating the cross with the Tree of Life.
If you are interested in learning more about the iron crosses of Chiapas, the book "Spirit of Chiapas: The Expressive Art of the Roof Cross Tradition" (hardcover) is an excellent reference. The book is by Virginia Ann Guest.
Guadalupe also makes utilitarian items such as knives, farm implements, fittings for draft animals all made of wrought iron. He is a featured artist in the landmark book "The Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art" published by Fomento Cultural Banamex.
Guadalupe Hermosillo and The Art of Metal
Guadalupe Hermosillo has been dedicated to the Art of Metal, or as he says the Art of Metal forged in living fire, for over 20 years now. Originally from the state Tapachula, where he was born on the 12th of December 1962, Chiapas, Mexico, he has been living for many years now in his adoptive city San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
Through a lot of effort and the dedication of all those years of work, Guadalupe Hermosillo has experimented with the fire to give the metal different shades of colour, from the colour intense blue, the silvery white, gold, red to other colours.
In this way he has succeeded in elaborating pieces of art of great artistic value, with what he has participated in important competitions and has represented himself in the diverse levels of The Art of metal.
He has won a variety of first prices, like the prestige “Fray Bartolomé de las Casas 2002”, the ultimate reward that the state of Chiapas only grants to an outstanding artist.
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Fomento Cultural BANAMEX, which is an institution of the renowned bank Banamex in Mexico, has for the overall achievements of Guadalupe Hermosillo, registered him in the book “Los Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular en México,” “The Great Masters of the Popular Art en Mexico.”
This institution has also made it possible that Guadalupe Hermosillo was granted to participate in a course about the process and the elaboration of The Art of metal in may 2003, in Sacramento California in the United States of America where he represented the state of Chiapas and explained his work.
Guadalupe Hermosillo is aware about the importance of preserving, making it more known and innovating The Art of metal and because of it he has shared his knowledge by giving courses in different states in Mexico, in which he especially reached out to the youth.
San Cristóbal de las Casas - The History of The Art of Metal
The Art of metal started in 1548; founded by a group of artists in the neighbourhood “El Cerrillo”, part of the district of San Cristóbal de las Casas. In this place we can actually still find on the roofs of the house and churches the ancient crosses. Also on the wooden doors we can appreciate the door locks, padlocks and doorknockers made by using the Art of metal.
In the colonial city of Chiapa de Corzo, founded by the Spanish, The Art of Metal also existed, which we can still value on the roofs of some ancient houses, most of all seen in the neighbourhood “Ribera de Cupia” of this district.
The pieces most representative of The Art of Metal are the crosses with different designs and shapes with all kinds of symbols that represent the passion of Christ, like the sun, the moon, the pigeon, the rooster, the spear, the heart, the nail, the hammer, the tweezers, the ladder, the balance, the Sunday flower, the chalice, the snake and leaves of plants. Other pieces are the padlocks in the form of a bat, squirrel, fish, and so on. Furthermore the doorknockers in the shape of a dog, crocodile, bull, eagle. Door locks for wooden doors and elaborate pieces like native metal sculptures, the Last Supper and the crocodile.
Crosses of the passion of Christ - Concurso Angelito
Although it were the Spanish who introduced Catholicism and therefore the symbol of the cross to Mexico, it were the persons who wrought the iron in living fire in the centuries to come who improved the technique, the design and the symbols of the crosses more and more.
At first the crosses had very plain designs and where located on the roofs of the houses to protect the house and its habitants of evil, but when the wealth of Mexico started to grow rapidly, the people aspired crosses of more defined designs. Very soon afterwards the crosses of the passion of Christ, with the symbols that referred to the life and passion of Christ, were born.
Despite the effort of a lot of smiths, there was a time when this craftsmanship was fading away, until Guadalupe Hermosillo collected all the pieces of knowledge that were left and with all his concentration, energy and willpower gave new life to the crosses of the passion of Christ.
The crosses of the passion of Christ of Guadalupe Hermosillo reflect the person who and how he is and for that reason you can find in his work the perfection and passion of himself. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Guadalupe Hermosillo puts his soul into everything he does.
Furthermore; in his work you can find the devotion he feels for his family, his opinion of the world up to the advice he gives to everyone who wants to receive it.
For example, some of his crosses of the passion of Christ have 2 hearts accompanied by little puppets stamped into one of the iron bars. It’s his way of expressing the love he feels for his wife and the importance he holds of family. An other example is the attention he draws to the good and the evil in the world hidden in the details of the crosses, like the direction of the dove, the laughing sun or moon, a snake who has a butterfly in his mouth, the symbols located on the spear, the balance which is hinging more to the left, the side of evil, or to the right, the side of good.
Guadalupe Hermosillo almost never gives out detailed information about his intentions, because his opinion is that everyone has to find it out for him or herself, but every cross has beside the normal symbolism, also a “secret message”.
What the crosses of the passion of Christ furthermore distinguish is that every cross has something different in the centre, like a small cross of the passion of Christ, an angel, a chalice, a kneeling praying angel, a butterfly, Jesus or Maria, what again adds to the exquisite characteristics of these pieces of art.
Crosses of the passion of Christ - Explication of the symbols
1 – The Dove: The dove represents peace and the Holy Spirit. In some crosses the dove is facing to the left in others to the right. This contradiction depends on how Guadalupe Hermosillo sees the world at the moment he makes the cross. If the dove is looking to the left, Guadalupe Hermosillo tells us, that evil is more represented than good. If the dove is looking to the right, the equilibrium is moved to the side of good. In this way Guadalupe Hermosillo gives us his opinion of the world and expresses the worries or contentment he feels.
2 – The Tweezers: The tweezers which were used to take out the nails in the hands and feet of Christ before he was lowered from the cross.
3 – The Moon: The moon represents the obscurity which started when Christ died. In some crosses the moon has a concealed smile. Also in this way Guadalupe Hermosillo tries to focus attention to the danger of evil. Not so much to the devil or evil spirits, but to the evil which is to be found in every human being.
4 – The Crown/Resplendence: The crown and radiance of Christ. Also the symbol of the divine light.
5 –The Sun: The sun, with or without smile, expresses what happened during the day, like the crucifixion and the stabbing of Christ with the spear. In spite of these events the sun also represents hope.6 – The Hammer: The hammer which was used to hammer the nails into the hands and feet of Christ during the crucifixion.
7 – The Rooster: The rooster who crowed when Peter said for the third time that he didn’t know Christ and in this way betrayed Christ.
8 –The Ladder: The ladder which was used to lower Christ from the cross.
9 – The Butterfly: The butterfly in Mexico refers to Eva, the feminine and rebirth, because only a woman can give birth to new life. In some crosses the snake, the symbol of evil, has a butterfly in his mouth. This expresses the believe that evil controls women and so gives responsibility of the evil in the world to the feminine. This thought comes directly from the Bible in which Eva seduces Adam to eat from the forbidden fruit, the apple, and in this way made way for evil to enter the hearts of people.
10 – The Snake: The snake is the symbol of evil and seduction. In some crosses the snake is rolled up like a little ball, in others it’s stretched out. The difference is that when a snake is rolled up, it’s more dangerous, because all of its energy is focused and ready to strike. Guadalupe Hermosillo tells up that a time of reconsideration of life is recommendable. When the snake is stretched out, danger is not that prominent, but it’s always wise to have precaution.11 – The Heart: The heart of Christ, which represents love, mercy and virtue.
12 – The Spear: The spear on the crosses of the passion of Christ reflects the spear the centurion Longinus used to stab Christ. This symbol doesn’t only have a negative meaning, because according to ancient stories, Longinus was almost blind and when he stabbed Christ a drop of blood fell in his eyes, restoring his sight completely.
13 – The Leaves of Palm Sunday: The leaves of Palm Sunday send out the message that people have to investigate the strength of their faith.
14 – The Balance: The Balance or in other words, justice, refers to the good and the evil and to judgement day.