In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Maguey began to play a part in my life when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala in the late 1980s. This is because, like everyone else living and working in the campo (countryside), I had a morral (net bag) in which I carried my daily necessities. At the time I was unaware of how maguey was used to make net bags and related utilitarian objects and, more important, its place as a historical record and visual language. Like most foreigners I focused on the bright, colorful loom-woven textiles, learning backstrap weaving and familiarizing myself with regional clothing styles. Fifteen years later, after developing my career as a fiber artist, working with natural materials to make hand-constructed textiles, many done in the same technique as net bags, I discovered that little documentation existed on Guatemalan morrales, and I began to conduct fieldwork, to learn what I could firsthand. Upon my return to Guatemala in 2001, I instantly noticed that many changes had occurred since I had last spent extensive time in the country . one of the most significant events was the 1996 signing of the Peace Accords, which officially ended the thirty-six year civil war. This opened the door to globalization and brought new products, materials, and ideas into even the most remote communities. Also, because of land shortages and low wages, many people have left their homes to earn money elsewhere , which contributes to the decline of many traditions, including maguey. Fortunately, I found enough people still working with maguey that I was able to learn firsthand their techniques and to observe maguey’s place in a cultural context. Maguey textile production, marketing, and transitions are the focus of this book. The first section recounts my journey and experiences, highlighting maguey worker interactions in many locations, and incorporates historical, actual, and non-maguey facts to describe the workers’ environments . The plants’ journey—the transformation process of turning a raw Preface leaf into beautiful and useful textile products—is next, and, finally, maguey economics as well as many of the transitions taking place. My goal is to illustrate the “state of maguey” at this particular time in history, document the processes, and honor those who keep the art alive. xiv PREFACE ...

Share