Oil Pastels on Pastel Board
Framed: 35” x 47”
Signed: Martinez (L.R.)
Notes from the Artist:
”While the Anglo-American cowboy is ubiquitous in southwest art, the often-overlooked history of working horsemanship in the American Southwest spans centuries, back to the original colonization of Central and South America by the Spanish. After Spanish colonizers arrived in Central America in the 15th century, they were in desperate need of skilled laborers as they attempted to establish permanent colonies across modern-day Mexico, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The Spanish established a caste system and trained enslaved black, indigenous, and mixed race individuals in their horsemanship style. They where not permitted to dress the same as the Spanish upper class and thus lead to the fashion of Mexican Charros. Over time, the charros developed unique skills which addressed the specific challenges faced in the New World, including skilled use of the lasso and leather riding chaps, used to protect riders from tall brush common in the Southwest. These incredibly skilled workers were a necessary part of Spanish settlement plans, and saw increased use throughout the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Eventually, as settlers from the United States moved westward, they were taught and adopted many of the skills, clothes, and traditions of the Mexican Charro, eventually evolving into the modern cowboy. Additionally, many charros found employment on newly developed ranches in the United States, again spreading their skills and traditions.
When the practical skills of the charros became less useful in the late 19th century as ranching practices changed, many wished to preserve the cultural and historical traditions of the Charrosdeveloped over hundreds of years. The Asociación Nacional de Charros was founded in 1922 and the Federación Mexicana de Charrería was founded in 1933 to govern the different Charros associations that emerged. In 2016, Charreria was inscribed into the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. In the 1950s, women took their rightful place inside the “lienzo charro.” An Escaramuza (translated to “skirmish”) typically consists of eight women riders (escaramuzas) who perform carefully synchronized and physically taxing choreography on horseback, in addition to riding side-saddle in large, flowing, embellished garments.
In 2022, I attended the Fiesta Charra in Lewisville, Texas. This was my first time attending and it was a spectacular experience! Being Peruvian with a shared Spanish history as Mexico it was a delight to find something in the United Sates that reminded me of the performances with the Peruvian Paso Horse and Marinera. To see such a beautiful variety of traditional Mexican dances and Charreria, I enjoyed experiencing how much love, tradition, pride, and of course ART that goes into every performance. Witnessing the Escaramuzas and Charros up close was an honor and privilege.“
