Instead, “Curious Creatures” focuses in depth on five different categories. Polk said that a walk through the exhibition will also bring visitors face-to-face with other depictions such as animals as musicians and animals that appear almost doll-like.īecause the tradition of animal portrayal in Mexican art is so rich and varied, Polk said, this exhibition is by no means a complete picture of the genre. It represents an introductory look at some of the different ways in which animals are depicted in regional and family traditions. The exhibition consists of roughly 40 pieces from the Fowler’s permanent holdings, said Patrick Polk, curator of Latin American and Caribbean popular arts. But on the monster’s back rests a pair of delicate butterfly wings, confirming that perhaps this creature is not purely dangerous, but is beautiful in its own right.Īdorned in a brilliant array of colors and between two and three feet tall, this winged papier-mache monster, or alebrije, is just one variety of creature featured in the currently running “Curious Creatures from Mexican Popular Arts” exhibition at the Fowler Museum. Its body is a fierce combination of whimsy and terror, equipped with razor-sharp fingers on its feet and legs, and a sharp-toothed mouth, backed by antlers and a mane the color of fire.

Free Monsters of Mican