|
|
| Cozumel Mexico Vacation Guide |
Cozumel Mexico has been going through a lot of changes ever since Hurricane Wilma paid us a visit. Anyone who is familiar with the island knows that it has never looked better. That is because when everything was destroyed after the storm everyone had to fix up at the same time! Not only that but the local government wisely decided to add a bunch of new public art that depicted its history.
The picture above is of a Mayan goddess walking on water. Notice the serpents on her head. Serpents had great significance in the Mayan world with all of its mysticisms. You will see signs of this everywhere you go in the Yucatan and the Mayas.
| Cozumel was first introduced to
Christianity between 1570 and 1600 AD when the island was finally
abandoned thanks to the exploitation of the people brought on by
Juan Pablo Grijalva. In this sculpture which is displayed in front of the Air Force military housing you can see a priest talking to the people from atop a Mayan Ruin. At the base of the stone replica of the ruin stand a bronze sculpture of a woman and her child bringing fruit as an offering. This is also shown on the second picture to the right. |
|
+
  |
As you move along the water front going south from the Air Force base you will find the bronze sculpture on the left. It is known as the "Cross-Breeding monument". Even though the name is a bit strange it actually has significance. The Aztecs were a warring group who basically conquered the Mayans and of course took their women to be their own. In this bronze sculpture you can see the Mayan woman and child sitting subservient to the Aztec warrior who is holding his spear (a second view is inserted to the right of the first). Hence you have the Cross-Breeding monument. |
| On either side of the Cross-Breeding monument you will find several depictions of stone carvings which are very common and seen throughout the Mayas. The most popular stone carving is the Mayan Calendar. However, most carvings are of their gods and speak of the history of their civilization. Stone monoliths and temples with carved figures can be seen everywhere. Many people are not aware of the fact that the Mayans loved to use color in their carvings. The reason for this is through the many centuries most of the color has been faded from the sun. |
 |
 |
One of my favorite public art
bronze sculptures is this one on the left. It is of a little girl
playing a flute on top of a turtle. It is a beautiful piece.
However, they had to remove it during Cozumel Carnival because they
worried that the flute would be bent even more then it already is
(due to a vandal). I'm not sure what the significance is of the girl
sitting on top of the turtle but that really doesn't matter to me
because I still think it is a beautiful work of art! She can be found going south along the water front after the Cross-Breeding monument. |
| This sculpture has to be one of
the most animated bronze pieces on Cozumel without a doubt. Of
course it is depicting a boy on top of a turtle with a little girl
playing leapfrog over him. But what you don't see is that on top of
the boys head are what appear to be some sort of ancient symbols.
Just like the girl with the flute, these two youngsters are on top
of a turtle and the turtle shell also has some strange inscriptions
on it as well.
As soon as I find out the significance of these inscriptions I will post it on this page. |
|
 |
One of the most popular pieces of
public art just has to be this elaborate copper sculpture which
represents what our island paradise is most famous for; its SCUBA diving and
coral reefs. On the left is a woman diver and on the right is a man
diving. The are surrounded by fish and coral reef fish, with a
spectacular array of sea life! The entire sculpture is surrounded by
a fountain in the shape of a starfish.
This sculpture also has a very elaborate fountain and water not only shoots up from the bottom but also from around the divers and out of the arch on top. It is very impressive. The morning that I took these photos the fountain was not on. This is also a means of conserving the sculpture as it would otherwise oxidize and not last very long. It is one of our more fragile pieces. Below you will find two more close-up pictures of this fantastic work of art.
|
|
|
|
| The bronze pirate on the right is actually a work that is still in progress as of today February 14th, 2008! This picture was taken yesterday and the statue is located where the transversal road ends in front of Mezcalitos. He is standing on top of a ships hull and it will be illuminated by lights. They are also constructing a garden around the front of it to depict his landing on Cozumel (presumably to bury some treasure)! |
 |
 |
In the town square you will find
yet another fountain. In the center is a whimsical bronze sculpture
of a woman that morphs into a conch shell. The fountain is very
elaborate and it even lights up at night.
On the back side of the same sculpture you will see that the woman is no longer visible and that only the Conch shell is seen. It is a very cleaver and original piece. It is very appropriate that it adorns the center of the town square! Below you will find a picture of this piece from the back side. |
|
Below you will find the most recently added pieces as of April 21st, 2008! |
|||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
||
I hope that you have enjoyed your tour of the islands public art displays. Make sure to notice them on your next vacation to Cozumel Mexico! They are definitely fine works of art by any measure and well worth seeing.
Sincerely,
Bob Rodriguez
