Beth Wilson Norwood became interested in West Mexican figurines when her professor at the University of Central Arkansas directed her to a collection of ceramics stored in boxes in a library closet. She was immediately hooked by the fascinating figurines and objects, and her interest grew as she read more about the lack of scholarship in the area.
West Mexican art is unique because it features a wide variety of scenes and themes, often depicted in multi-figure tableaus and figurines. Unlike other Mesoamerican art, which is often more public and monumental, West Mexican art seems to have been intended for more private or ritual contexts, making it more challenging to decode.
West Mexican art primarily uses ceramics as the favored medium, with 17 different visual styles. The main categories include multi-figure tableaus (often described as models), figurines (smaller, solid figures), and larger hollow ceramic figures. These styles and categories are found across different geographic regions, suggesting a shared visual tradition.
Beth Wilson Norwood uses a combination of methods to authenticate West Mexican figurines, including mentorship from Robert Pickering, who developed a methodology involving the examination of the interior and exterior of objects for mineral stains and insect remains. She also uses her knowledge of the styles and themes depicted to rule out fakes and alterations.
Beth Wilson Norwood found that the variety of day-to-day activities depicted in West Mexican figurines is much more limited than previously thought. Instead, she identified several recurring themes, such as ball court scenes, ceremonial circles, and funerary scenes, suggesting that these figurines may have been used to record and communicate important cultural narratives.
Common misconceptions about West Mexican art and culture include the idea that West Mexico was underdeveloped compared to other Mesoamerican regions, that it lacked large-scale architecture, and that it was isolated from South American influences. These ideas have been dispelled by recent research, which shows that West Mexico had sophisticated architecture and was part of broader cultural networks.
Beth Wilson Norwood finds her work in West Mexico rewarding because it allows her to collaborate with other scholars in her field, which is often isolating for art historians. She also enjoys the detective work of art history, piecing together iconography, context, and formal aspects to understand the meaning of these ancient works of art.
In this episode we interview art historian Beth Wilson Norwood about her research into the art of West Mexican figurines.
Beth Wilson Norwood is an art historian specializing in Pre-Columbian art, funerary art, and the art of ancient West Mexico. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of New Mexico and the editor-in-chief of the 15th volume of the journal Hemisphere: Visual Culture of the Americas. She holds an MA from UT San Antonio and a BA from the University of Central Arkansas. Her dissertation “Narrative Ceramics and Networks of Practice: West Mexican Visual Traditions in the Late Formative-Early Classic Periods,” will focus on the issue of visual communication, and the role West Mexican ceramic sculpture may have played in the expression of important cultural narratives and histories, as well as their use in performance and oral storytelling.