We are all familiar with the term “starving artist,” which can be extended to “starving craft maker.” These monikers are not beacons that bring new makers into the fold of crafters and artisans, and would not have come into being if they were not at least somewhat true. Our modern culture values instant gratification and cheap prices over care and quality. In the United States, we used to have many woodcrafters, potters, painters, and glass artists, but not as many now. Cheaper-made products have largely taken over territory that once belonged to artisans; as a result, crafting traditions are being lost. No buyers lead to no makers. Schools, teachers, and family traditions are essential to inspire the next generation to create these crafts, just as buyers are needed to purchase them.
Crafting traditions are being lost
The same is occurring in Colombia. Artisans, masters of their craft, whether it is Mopa Mopa, weaving, painting, or pottery, are getting older, and the younger generations are not choosing to replace them. The younger generations witnessed the poverty of their parents and have instead chosen to go to college and work outside of the craft world, often moving to big cities such as Bogota and Medellin. Thankfully, there are some younger people who are choosing to work as crafters and are using the internet to grow their craft businesses and work to prevent the extinction of these crafts. But is it enough?
Preserving Crafts is the Equivalent to Preserving Culture and History
Preventing the loss of these cultural crafts is the equivalent of preserving a people’s history and culture. In the case of Barniz de Pasto, also known as Mopa Mopa, this artwork is rooted in the history of the Pastusos, the native people who developed the techniques of creating beautiful work long before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century. Since the arrival of the Spanish, native motifs were exchanged for Spanish-influenced floral and traditional Catholic/Christian motifs. The Spanish brought with them different materials in which the resin of the mopa mopa tree could be mixed to create new colors. Today, modern Mopa Mopa is still made with the same techniques, but with new colors developed by modern industry, and petroleum lacquer has replaced the use of saliva in the protective coating over the artwork. Traditional pre-colombian designs are now making a comeback. Despite these changes, the underlying tradition is surviving for the time being, but many are concerned that it will be lost one day. At one time, there were many artisans working with mopa mopa; now, there are very few.
Going forward, keeping these artisanal traditions alive depends on people choosing to buy handmade, one-of-a-kind things, thus giving potential future artisans an impetus to continue the tradition well into the future. Traditional artisans lack the financial resources that large companies have to devote to advertising. Due to the nature of the work, it cannot be produced cheaply, and each piece requires more time to produce than mass-produced merchandise. As a result, everything costs more. The question becomes a matter of one’s personal values and the values one wishes to express to others when making a decision to purchase handmade versus mass-produced items.
In 2023, Arte de Mopa Mopa was founded by Fabian Moreno and his wife, Roquita, with the hope of igniting interest in these crafts within the United States. Buying handmade crafts made from quality materials like real wool and wood enhance our surroundings and at the same time encourage more young people to pick up a craft knife or real wool roving and make something by hand. The loss of these crafts is equivalent to the loss of a culture.
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