We visit the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico from time to time. I am not much of a beach lover, so I go looking for historical
things to do and for evidence of modern or older blacksmiths or blacksmith art and utility.
There are some islands off the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Cancun (or Riveria Maya) area. The two I am most familiar with are
Cozumel and Isla Mujeres. A few years ago, while spending a week on Isla Mujeres, I decided to make a photographic record of
"blacksmithed goods" on the island. The gallery below is the result.
It seems to me that most of the work is utilitarian rather than realy "artistic" in nature. It's a mostly a
Hossfeld Bender/cut-and-weld environment.
Not to say that the ironwork is without style, but hardly any of the details are forged. There are a few examples of thoughtful,
artistic work. It's my sense that the customers want the "shapes" but don't feel the need to spend the extra money on
refinements. Some of the work on Isla Mujeres is recent, usually produced as fancy now hotels are built, but a lot of the work has,
apparently, been there for a long time.
Thanks for looking!