Walked to the SD Museum of Art after sitting at the studio the other day to see this magnificent "beaded Bug" - reminds me of the one I used to have (minus a few beads...)
This is a free exhibit - located outside the museum towards sculpture garden - only takes a few minutes, unless you'd like to count the beads... Definitely worth it
Here's an excerpt from the article written by James Chute of the San Diego Union Tribune -
You have to realize that in Mexico, the Volkswagen Beetle, better known as El Vocho, is the car of the people. And that the Huichol (also known as the Wixárika) are an indigenous people renowned for their intricate bead work. Then, “Vochol” makes perfect sense. It’s a Mexican-made, 1990 Volkswagen adorned with some 2,277,000 beads by Huichol craftsmen, on view at the San Diego Museum of Art through March 10. (Better hop a plane to Denver to catch it on exhibit there)
San Diego is the first stop on an international tour for the car/folk-art tour de force created for Mexico City’s Museo de Arte Popular. The car will also be shown in Denver (Mexican Cultural Center), Washington, D.C. (Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian), Paris (Musée de Quai Branly) and Berlin.
“Vochol” is a craft marvel, with its intricately beaded figures and designs (including sacred cactus, the sun, snakes and eagles) reflecting the Huichol’s shamanic traditions and rituals. It took eight artisans 4,760 hours to finish the project.
Its underwriters, the Association of Friends of Museo de Arte Popular and others, hope the world tour will bring more attention to indigenous art in general and Mexican art in particular, and will raise money for artists (the car will be sold when the tour concludes).
“You cannot drive it,” the art director said. “The seat and the steering wheel are full of beads also.
“They don’t drive it; they just push it.”
Some might say, just like their old Beetle.
