Blog Post #5/6

Wall Label

Title- Cazuela De barro 

Artist- Unknown 

Date- c. 1989 

Geography/Culture- Mexico

Medium- Clay and paint 

Source- Gift from Grandma 

The origin for this cazuela is Mexico, my grandma had brought this with her when she came to visit us here in New York Queens. My grandma gave it to my mom has a gift something for her to keep from Mexico, since my grandma wasn't use to the utensils that we used here she bought this cazuela. It's was used to make a traditional dish called mole and frijoles. The taste compared from cooking in this and cooking in the utensils they have here and completely different the flavor is a lot better coming from this cazuela. While my grandma was here she would cook in it. Once my grandma left we wouldn't use it very much since my mom got use to using the utensils here in N.Y, and one day while my mom was cooking in it she dropped the lid and it chipped these ollas are very easy to break and since my grandma gave it to my mom as a present she didn't want it to break so we don't use it to more. I really find it beautiful and reminds me of the memories of my grandma and the thought that women in Mexico use these beautiful cazuelas to cook, and I recall my mother even talk how the food is so much better made in these ollas. It's important to me and my mom because of the memories they hold and the value it has. I would of loved to have learned and made food with my grandma when I was older but she passed away and I never did. But her memories will always be there. I think it's important for the viewer for them to see what we have in our culture what we use to make dishes made here the difference and the artwork added where the pots here are plain and made of steal. To teach and see the beauty these little things have. Many people forget where they came from and live upon this society but there are more beautiful things out there in front of your eyes. These ollas (Pots) are expensive here because there hard to get. These beauty's take time to make. The value of this cazuela is a big one for me and my mom the memories the enjoyment of Mexican food. In John Cotton Dana's The Gloom of the Museum  he says "They become lost in their idea of a museum and forget its purpose. They become lost in working out their idea of a museum and forget their public". The experts and other high end people choose what should be put in a museum because of there worth rarity and history, but they don't think exactly for their community on what really are important to show in a museum something to give signifigance to them or the people before them their ancestors. Like this olla it holds beauty and meaning and its something we can learn upon culture. Museums are made to teach and show the people around whats been there before and still are now like John Dana says "But it seems to care to speak only to those whose desire for its teachings is strong enough to lead them to make some sacrifice of time and money to enjoy them". Dana is completely right on that note people need to scarifice time and money to go to museums and enjoy the things that it may hold, but it's also the signifigance the things may hold towards you, to feel some relation and enjoyment. Even though not all of what we see as art is placed in a box but at least we get to enjoy of seeing it and showing it somewhere else. I really love this Cazuela it's part of my life and memories..