Nuevo México Profundo: Rituals of an Indo-Hispano Homeland [Hardcover]

Miguel A. Gandert (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 2000

Award-winning documentary photographer Miguel Gandert records the sacred and secular rituals of the mestizo peoples of the upper Rio Grande corridor with exquisite photography. The accompanying essays discuss the aesthetics, historic and folkloric context and address issues of identity and ethnicity among Hispanics of the region.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Comprising 130 stunning black-and-white photographs by Gandert and essays by Southwest scholars Lamadrid, Ram"n Gutierr z, Lucy R. Lippard, and Chris Wilson, this collection reveals, in image and print, a colorful and enduring mestizo culture in the upper R!o Grande corridor. The survival of history and a memory of tradition saturate Gandert's work with meaning and depth. The photographs resonate with movement and reverence as they capture the swaying, stomping bodies of Nuevo M xico Indo-Hispanos performing sacred rituals and dances rooted in the syncretism of garb and gods of the Old and New Spains. The performances of birth and blessings, conquests and pilgrimages, and music and death, so aptly captured by Gandert, serve as ethnographic windows to this border culture, while the essays poignantly provide a richer understanding of their cultural and historical contexts. Highly recommended. Silvia Heredia, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Ramon Gutierrez et al

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press; illustrated edition edition (October 21, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890133484
• ISBN-13: 978-0890133484
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 10.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,441,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful images of archetype, myth, and heritage!, March 25, 2001

By 

Joseph P. Reel, Ph.D. (Pacific Grove, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nuevo México Profundo: Rituals of an Indo-Hispano Homeland (Hardcover)

My 28-year residency in New Mexico ended with my recent move to California. Viewing Miguel Gandert's photographs opened the floodgates of memory in ways I had not anticipated.

Gandert's images carry the viewer into the most important dimension of ritual: the experiential element. Witnessing these ritual dances, even as a mere spectator, can be a moving experience. A vivid recollection of one New Year's Day at Jemez Pueblo Plaza comes to mind. I sat crosslegged on the ground at the inward-facing edge of the assembly, following the action of the Matachine dancers. A little boy portraying El Torito, the bull, was being chased by a whip-wielding Abuelo, who represents both wise elder and taunting clown. I held my hands over my head, feigning a protective gesture in mock fear, as they ran around me in ever tightening circles. The double-line pattern of the danzantes suddenly shifted and swept over me on both sides with ribbons flying in a swirl of color. In that moment I found all concept of time and structure collapsing into liminality. Afterwards, I became concerned that I might have inadvertently violated ritual space. Upon expressing my feelings to a tribal member, however, I was assured that no such transgression had taken place and that I might have even received a blessing.

The event described above could, no doubt, be interpreted quite differently from another standpoint and through another's eyes. Similarly, this book can be appreciated on many different levels. It's relevancy to universal elements and ritual may resonate with a widely diverse audience. Gandert and four knowledgeable essayists create a compelling cultural admixture of polarity and paradox. The resultant images emerge through layers of time, space, and history like so many bubbles from some deep, ancient well. This book is truly a verbal and visual treasure.

Readers interested in expanding their knowledge of the Matachines tradition will also find a valuable resource in The Matachines Dance: Ritual Symbolism and Interethnic Relations in the Upper Rio Grande Valley by Sylvia Rodriguez.