Arthur Lopez is one of the leading Santos carvers in New Mexico.  This piece is part of his new series, “Pillars of Strength”.  Each piece is intricately carved and part of a “pillar” This piece is entitled, “Milagros de las Rosas”.  It depicts the Virgin of Guadalupe. If you are familiar with the story there are the miraculous roses in the cloak.  Here, Arthur has added to the sense of “miracle” by placing the roses on prickly pear cactus.  Take a moment and note how he carved into the pilar, to create the sense that they are sprouting from the wood!  It’s quite phenomenal!

Arthur said of “Pillars of Strength”:
“A pillar is a bridge between Heaven and Earth. The vertical axis both unites and divides the two. Someone who can be trusted with your stability gives comfort and support through difficult times.  Each piece has the architectural idea of a “pillar” and is a distinctively new direction for my art”.

The process for Arthur’s work is bound in tradition.  After the piece is carved, is covered in gesso (a glue made from rabbit hide) which is allowed to dry and then sanded.  It is painted with both natural and watercolor pigment.  Natural colored pigments, such as brown, are derived from black walnut hulls.   These are the time involved and historic foundations for his work.  

We are pleased to present this amazing body of work from one of the leading Santos artists in the country.  Arthur’s artistic expression continues to breakthrough the history of Traditional Spanish Colonial art in New Mexico. Each piece demonstrates his expressive ideas utilizing and honoring traditional techniques to arrive at his uniquely contemporary one of a kind creations. Consistently Arthur has pushed the boundaries of the New Mexico Santero tradition that has placed him a the forefront of his craft.

Arthur’s work is found in numerous museum and public collections, including Albuquerque Museum of Art & History,  Denver Art Museum,  Freedom Museum (911 Memorial at Ground Zero), Harwood Museum of Art, Museum of International Folk Art,  Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and the State of New Mexico Permanent Art Collection.