{"title":"Barbara Rachko","description":" ","products":[{"product_id":"wise-one-bolivianos-collection-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"WISE ONE - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58\" x 38\"","offer_id":47419302478113,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/WISE-ONE---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715264161"},{"product_id":"the-moralist-bolivianos-collection-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE MORALIST - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47419652178209,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-MORALIST---BOLIVIANOS_1dff1fda-e5a1-408c-b55d-9fad6d83f99e.jpg?v=1730556660"},{"product_id":"shadow-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"SHADOW - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47419750777121,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/SHADOW---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263792"},{"product_id":"sacrificial-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"SACRIFICIAL - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47419877130529,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/SACRIFICIAL---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263690"},{"product_id":"the-mentalist-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE MENTALIST - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47419926511905,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-MENTALIST---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263968"},{"product_id":"overlord-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"OVERLORD - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47419959050529,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/OVERLORD---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263480"},{"product_id":"raconteur-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"RACONTEUR - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47420056437025,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/RACONTEUR---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263646"},{"product_id":"the-enigma-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE ENIGMA - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420060205345,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-ENIGMA---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263928"},{"product_id":"trickster-bolivianos-collection-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"TRICKSTER - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420066562337,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/TRICKSTER---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715264082"},{"product_id":"majordomo-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"MAJORDOMO - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"20” x 26”","offer_id":47420076425505,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/MAJORDOMO---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263405"},{"product_id":"sentinels-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"SENTINELS - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"38” x 58”","offer_id":47420121514273,"sku":"","price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/SENTINELS---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263725"},{"product_id":"poseur-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"POSEUR - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47420140650785,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/POSEUR---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263562"},{"product_id":"prophecy-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"PROPHECY - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47420146319649,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/PROPHECY---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263599"},{"product_id":"viceroy-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"VICEROY - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420158542113,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/VICEROY---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715264121"},{"product_id":"shamanic-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"SHAMANIC - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26\" x 20\"","offer_id":47420167913761,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/SHAMANIC---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263838"},{"product_id":"oracle-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"ORACLE - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420176269601,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/ORACLE---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263444"},{"product_id":"the-orator-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE ORATOR - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"38” x 58”","offer_id":47420184133921,"sku":"","price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-ORATOR---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715264042"},{"product_id":"the-champ-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE CHAMP - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420188229921,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-CHAMP---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263882"},{"product_id":"poker-face-black-paintings-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"POKER FACE - BLACK PAINTINGS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBlack Paintings\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e“The assimilation of styles and motifs from African cultural artifacts into the work of avant-garde artists was a means of challenging conventional western aesthetic values and hierarchies that reflected what those artists perceived as a vacuous and moribund society. In looking to these sources to invigorate their own creative visions, what these artists actually discovered were new ways of seeing and making art.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e- Wendy Grossman in\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e“Man Ray, African Art, and the Modernist Lens”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am drawn to Mexican and Guatemalan cultural objects—masks, carved wooden animals, papier mâché figures, and toys—for reasons similar to those of Man Ray and the modernists, who in their case were drawn to African art. On trips to Mexico and Guatemala I frequent local mask shops, markets, and bazaars searching for the figures that will populate my pastel paintings and photographs. How, why, when, and where these objects come into my life is an important part of my creative process. I take very old objects with a unique Mexican or Guatemalan past—many have been used in religious festivals—and give them a second life, so to speak, in New York in the present. When I return home I read prodigiously and find out as much about them as I can.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlack Paintings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eseries of pastel-on-sandpaper paintings grew directly from the earlier\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDomestic Threats.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBoth series use cultural objects as surrogates for human beings acting in mysterious, highly-charged narratives. In the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlack Paintings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethe figures (actors) take central stage. All background details, furniture, rugs, etc. are eliminated and replaced by intense dark black pastel. Each painting takes months to complete as I slowly layer and blend up to 30 layers of soft pastel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe idea for the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlack Paintings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebegan when I attended a jazz history course and learned how Miles Davis developed cool jazz from bebop. In bebop the notes were played hard and fast as musicians showcased their technical virtuosity. Cool jazz was a much more relaxed style with fewer notes, i.e., the music was pared down to its essentials. Similarly my current series evolved from dense, complex visual compositions into paintings that depict only the essential elements—the actors. As the series evolves what is left out becomes increasingly more important, resulting in more demands being placed on the viewer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"38\" x 58\"","offer_id":47420461973793,"sku":"","price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/POKER-FACE.jpg?v=1715263527"},{"product_id":"disruptor-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"DISRUPTOR - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47426702115105,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/DISRUPTOR---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263272"},{"product_id":"entity-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"ENTITY - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47426711617825,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/ENTITY---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263312"},{"product_id":"impresario-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"IMPRESARIO - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47426725904673,"sku":"","price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/IMPRESARIO---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263351"},{"product_id":"avenger-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"AVENGER - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47426791735585,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/AVENGER---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263192"},{"product_id":"acolytes-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"ACOLYTES - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"38” x 58”","offer_id":47426822045985,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/ACOLYTES---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263155"},{"product_id":"danzante-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"DANZANTE - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"38” x 58”","offer_id":47426860974369,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/DANZANTE---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263232"},{"product_id":"oblate-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper-2025","title":"\"Oblate - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Oblate - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper 2025\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":51245698711841,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/Oblate-BOLIVIANOSSoftPastelonSandpaper2025.jpg?v=1746283097"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/collections\/BARBARA_RACHKO.jpg?v=1705856575","url":"https:\/\/apricus-art-collection.myshopify.com\/collections\/barbara-rachko.oembed","provider":"Apricus Art Collection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}