Mystery of Mother Earth and Her Relationship to the Virgin of Guadalupe
1990, San Antonio, Texas. Mystery of Mother Earth and Her Relationship to the Virgin of Guadalupe was a pyro-sculpture performance presented at the Blue Star Contemporary in San Antonio, Texas in 1990. This artwork was the continuation of my sculptural interest of comparative mythology. When I lived in Alaska I learned about Native Alaskan culture from Inuit and Athabaskan artist friends from the Visual Art Center. Many indigenous cultures around the world have various concepts of “Mother Earth”. After I moved to San Antonio I was introduced to the Mexican veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. To me there was a spiritual relationship between the concept of Mother Earth and of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This pyro-sculpture performance consisted of three towers, a life size sculpture of Mother Earth, a life size sculpture of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a church cantor and pyrotechnics. The performance began with the cantor singing Amazing Grace as Mexican firewheels began and linear fireworks streamed into the Mother Earth figure. Then the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared behind Mother Earth and slowly ascended 70 feet straight up. During this ascension the cantor sang Ava Maria. At the completion of this song many fireworks on the lift platform burst into the sky. After these pyrotechnics were finished all the lights went dark.