Memories of Mexico
Dedicated to Jivan Astfalck
In April 2010 I was in Mexico City to attend a jewellery symposium called Walking the Gray Area. After a week of wonderfully inspiring talks and exhibitions, it was time to come home. I said my goodbyes and went back to my hotel to pack in readiness for my flight home the next morning. Then, I heard a news flash, which said the skies over Europe were closed due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland. This was too ridiculous to be true? I had to get home as I was travelling to Australia in two days’ time. But, as the hours morphed into days it quickly became clear that I was going nowhere soon... A blitz-like camaraderie developed as dozens of jewellers gather in disbelief, talking of nothing other than how they were going to get home. We were all stranded under a dark cloud, and there was nothing anyone could do but wait for it to pass.
I sat in my hotel room, reluctantly listening to the screech of the organ grinder who had based himself beneath my window. It sounded cute at first, but after a week it became a nerve grinder. To block out this noise I began to think about my time in Mexico and its rich and colourful culture of chaos. It had been a wonderful experience, and I felt sad that this cloud, which was holding me prisoner, would overshadow the memories of my time there.
Then, it all became clear. Why not make something positive out of this? The idea for a new exhibition was born... Needless to say, I never did get to Australia.
Jo Bloxham, curator