Dianna Cates Dunn » Blog

In the painting of Rendered, know that a crucifix is very much my inspiration. But not a completely Christian version of the crucifix.  You see, this part of the US, southern Colorado and south through what is New Mexico and into old Mexico, has a fascinating history that ties directly into the Spanish Inquisition. The 16^th century was a time of great power and great religious turmoil with the Inquisition being at its most malevolent in Spain.  Little did I know, before moving to Colorado, that the turmoil created by the Inquisition affected the early settlement of this part of the US.

In the 1500’s not only did Spain lay claim to much of what is now Southwest America, but it encouraged immigration by giving land grants to Spaniards willing to cross the Atlantic and settle there. With the Inquisition in full swing, the Jewish population of Spain were made to convert to Catholicism or be tortured to death. Many Jews chose to undergo ‘conversion’. They then would immigrate to the New World to get far away from the overseeing eyes of Spanish Church and its inquisitors. Once here, they were relatively free to practice their own form of Judaism once again, though they were incredibly careful to keep up the façade of being good Catholics.  The art from this period of settlement in this new Spanish territory is fascinating. In the tiny community churches still standing in many miniscule settlements, you can still see where these immigrants created a facade of beautiful Christian images with lots of Jewish symbolism mixed in. Its style is a sophisticated layering that, at first, appears primitive, but is far from it. The images are laden with so much symbolism and coding along with heartfelt execution that I love immersing myself in its history, its mystery, and its beauty. Rendered resulted from a trip, where allowing myself to wander back roads, I discovered this source of unexpected inspiration.

I know there must be a bevy of books with much more information about this region during this time period and I hope to find and read them soon.