page_title: Blanco family (Oaxacan potters)
section_title: Irma García Blanco
hierarchical_section_title: Blanco family (Oaxacan potters) / Irma García Blanco
caption_attribution_description: English: Irma Blanco of Santa Maria Atzompa, Oaxaca, Mexico
context_page_description: The Blanco family of Santa María Atzompa, Oaxaca, Mexico is noted for their ceramic production, especially decorative pieces. Their fame began with Teodora Blanco, who as a young child added decorative elements to the more utilitarian wares made by her parents. Eventually her work became noted by a foreigner who not only bought her entire production, also encouraged her to create new forms, leading to mostly human figures called “muñecas”. Her form of decoration, called “pastillaje, ” was also an innovation for the area’s pottery and consists of small pieces of clay added onto the main surfaces, often covering much of the area. Teodora taught her children and although she intended that only the oldest daughter carry on her work, today three generations of the family continues making mostly decorative pottery, mostly following her work. These include Irma García Blanco, who have been recognized by the Fomento Cultural Banamex and Fernando Félix Pegüero García, who has won prizes from the Friends of Oaxacan Folk Art in New York and Premio Nacional de Cerámica in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco.
context_section_description: Irma García Blanco is one of Teodora’s daughters, born in Santa María Atzompa in 1959. Irma continues her mother’s legacy with her own large, ornate clay figures which are lively and full of detail.  Irma began working with clay at the age of six, helping her mother by making small figures. Although Irma herself only finished the second grade, some of her seven children have gone onto college. Irma’s husband worked in Mexico City as a factory sales person for 27 years, commuting home on the weekends. He retired when the factory closed. Since then, Irma’s work has become the main family income and has received support from her husband.
  Irma is best known for continuing the creation of ornate “muñecas” started by her mother. These works are lavishly ornate, with the female figures with proportionally short torsos, sometimes having an overabundance of decorative details. They include mermaids and women selling in the market. Some of the figures are surrounded by small animals such as dogs and rabbits, others are covered in flowers.   Irma also creates altars with crucifixes, angels, Virgin Mary figures bearing angels, nativity scenes and mermaids. Two other notable themes are fountains and reproduction of the Moctezuma cypress at Santa María del Tule, which are decorated with elements from the seven regions of Oaxaca. She says she is not bored with repetition of themes as she does them each time a little differently, because the decorative details are all done by hand.
  Her technique is also similar to her mothers, using simple tools including the bowl and plate “wheel” as well as clay mined locally.  Some of the basic shapes are created with molds but generally are modified by hand and the decorative details are also done by hand. She prefers to make pieces of natural clay color, so most of her pieces are not painted.  However, sometimes she does cover them in a slip as a protective coating.
  Irma has also received numerous prizes and other recognitions for her work, including the Premio Fomento Cultual Banamex in 1996 and her work featured in the "Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular" and "Out of Volcanos" by Margaret Sayers Peden. Her work is also regularly exhibited such as a show sponsored by the Fomento Cultural Banamex in the city of Durango in 2012. Irma’s work is mostly sold to collectors and she feels it is important for people to see the creation process to truly appreciate the pieces.
  She trains other artisans in her community, creating an informal school.
caption: Irma Garcia Blanco in her workshop
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