Cuando hablan los santos

The work of thirteen outstanding New Mexico folk artists and their families is highlighted in this handsome bilingual book. These santeros (literally, saint makers) work in an ancient tradition but develop distinctive individual styles. Some use hand tools that date back to the colonial period, others use power tools. Several of the artists use commercial paints and acrylics, while others collect and process natural pigments and make homemade gesso from pulverized gypsum and rabbit-skin glue. They create santos for museums, for sale, and, of course, for devotional purposes, both for their own homes and for churches.

This lavishly illustrated book includes background information on the santero traditions of New Mexico, pictures of the artists and their work accompanied by their own comments, and essays by six scholars on various aspects of the history, iconography, and marketing of these increasingly popular woodcarvings and paintings.