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Sam L. Slick Collection of Latin American and Iberian Posters

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Untitled (Transformation)

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Title	Untitled (Transformation)
Creator	Rafael López Castro
Subject	Mexico; Animals In Art;
Country	Mexico
Description	UNM professor of art history Dr. Ray Hernández considers the imagery in this serigraph print to be an “unspecific zoomorphic composite of prominent, traditional pre-contact animal avatars such as the eagle, jaguar, butterfly, fish, and human. The background abstract forms are clear references to Nahua glyphs signifying water (patterns of currents, references to bodies of water, the blue-green color, shells, and water rivulets).” He reads the work as “suggesting the protean aspect of shamanic transformation, liminal creatures, and crossing boundaries.” Certainly the idea of transformation is underscored here. The inclusion of butterfly wings is an interesting reference to the multiple meanings of the butterfly in Pre-Columbian symbology. For the Toltec and the Maya the butterfly can represent movement as well as the supreme region of the sky. Additionally, the butterfly is indicative of sacrifice and transformation in its relation to the benevolent ruler Quetzalcoatl of Tula, whose gods were satisfied with sacrificial offerings of butterflies, snakes, and jades instead of human hearts. Butterflies are further associated with fire, war, and the souls of dead warriors.
Publisher	Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico
Contributors	None;
Date Original	2000s
Date Digital	2006-04-27
Type	still image
Digitization Specifications	Coolpix 995; 300 dpi; Adobe Photoshop Elements
Resource Identifier	4125.JPG
Source	ZIM CSWR Pict Colls PICT 000-674-4123; Drawer 21 Folder 49; 29 ¼ x 44 ¼ inches (paper)
Acquired	2007
Relation	Part of the Sam L. Slick Collection of Latin American and Iberian Posters
Rights Management	Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of New Mexico <http://www.unm.edu/disclaimer.html>