Gina Santi Update for December 2017

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Gina Santi Photography

 

 Images of the Month – December 2017

 

"El Buen Frank" in action at his Hermosillo shop
 

“El Buen Frank” is a famous piñata maker in Calle Ricardo Yáñez, in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. He builds piñatas from scratch, wrapping a mannequin in papier-maché (old newspaper and engrudo, or glue), letting it dry, cutting it in the middle, and decorating it according to the customer’s request to resemble popular characters: Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Ninja Turtles, Elsa, and even politicians!. The piñatas he makes sell for 500 Mexican pesos, or about 30 US dollars.

A piñata can also be made out of pottery or fabric. It is filled with small toys or candy, or both, and then broken as part of a celebration: birthdays, bachelor parties, and religious holidays. The name comes from an 14th century Italian tradition of breaking a container filled with treats, the pignatta, which was brought to America by the Spaniards. Prior to the Spaniards’ arrival, however, the Aztecs already had a similar tradition to celebrate the birthday of Huitzilopochtli, their national god and the god of Tenochtitlan. Today, the piñata is still an important part of celebrations many Latin American countries, and there are other similar traditions observed in India, Japan, and the Philippines.

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 “El Buen Frank” es un famoso fabricante de piñatas en la calle Ricardo Yáñez, en la ciudad de Hermosillo, Sonora, México. Él construye piñatas de manera artisanal: envuelve un maniquí en papel maché (periódico viejo y engrudo, o pegamento), lo deja secar, lo corta por el medio, y lo decora según las especificaciones del cliente para parecerse a los personajes populares: Spiderman, Wonder Woman , Ninja Turtles, Elsa, ¡e incluso personajes político ! Las piñatas que hace se venden por 500 pesos mexicanos, o alrededor de 30 dólares estadounidenses.

Una piñata también se puede hacer de cerámica o de tela. Se rellena  con pequeños juguetes o dulces, o ambos, y luego se rompe como parte de una celebración: cumpleaños, despedidas de soltero, y fiestas religiosas. El nombre proviene de una tradición italiana del siglo 14 que consistía en romper un recipiente lleno de golosinas, la pignatta, que fue traída a América por los españoles. Antes de la llegada de los españoles, sin embargo, los aztecas ya tenían una tradición similar para celebrar el cumpleaños de Huitzilopochtli, su dios nacional y el dios de Tenochtitlan. Hoy, la piñata sigue siendo una parte importante de las celebraciones en muchos países de América Latina, y hay otras tradiciones similares observadas en India, Japón y Filipinas.

"El Buen Frank" in action at his Hermosillo shop.
"El Buen Frank" in action at his Hermosillo shop.
For more information about these images, including how to add them to your fine arts collection, please respond to this email or visit this link.
So Much to Tell, So Little Space!
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GSP’s Spiritual Mandala Images will be on display at  Desert Song Healing Arts Center,  3232 N 20th Street, Phoenix, AZ  85016, staring January 8, 2018. +1( 602) 265-8222 for more info.
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TEOE-Trough Each Other’s Eyes completed its 2017 photographic exchange with  the  city of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Hosted by photographers Juan Casanova and Dionisio Corral, Associate Photographers Gina Santi and Brandon Sullivan shared unforgettable experiences with our neighbors to the South. Exhibit scheduled to open in September, 2018 at the Herberger Theater Gallery. Stay tuned!
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Celebrating the first place of GSP’s Cute Japanese Girls in the 2017 photo contest of the American Anthropological Association. Congratulating her are anthropologists extraordinaire Zora Neale Hurston, Margaret Mead, and Franz Boas. Doesn’t get any better than this, for sure.
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February 2, 2018 is the opening date for the Japan-Arizona exhibit at the University Club of Phoenix. In this TEOE exchange, photographers Toru Kawana, David Moore, Gina Santi, and Tareo Tare will exhibit their images that capture each other’s cultures through each other’s eyes. More info in our January newsletter.
GSP’s 2018 Desk Calendars Are Still Available!
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GSP’s 2018 Desk Calendar, internationally renowned for the quality of its design and the beauty of its images, are still available for sale directly from our studio.
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13 images (12 months + cover) showing how stunning Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, is.  The perfect end of the year gift for those very special friends, family members, and business associates. Visit this link for more information.

 

— Gina Santi is a freelance photographer born and raised in Venezuela and currently based in Tempe, Arizona. She earned her master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Northern Arizona University and has participated in various events in Northern Arizona, including the annual Celebraciones de la Gente at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Visit http://www.ginasantiphotography.com for more information.