Component 3: Cultural Heritage and Alebrijes
Students will then shift focus to the study of Alebrijes, beginning with the story of Pedro Linares and the dream-inspired creatures he brought to life in papier-mâché. This section will include a curated presentation of Alebrijes from the National Museum of Mexican Art, either in-person or through the museum’s online resources. Students will study traditional and contemporary interpretations of these fantastical creatures, including works like El Gusano by Miguel Linares Mendoza. Students will explore how these works reflect imagination, personal symbolism, and cultural identity—particularly in the context of Mexican folk traditions and Indigenous practices in Oaxaca.
Students will engage in nature journaling (looking back at the zoo experience and notes), field sketching, and close observation of animals chosen, animal skeletons, and detailed images of feathers, fur and scales. Exactly in the same manner the George Stubbs did with the drawings of the horse These exercises will develop students’ ability to observe patterns and textures in nature while building drawing and composition skills. Scientific illustrations and anatomical studies will be used to help students grasp the complexity and interdependence of living systems. Students will use handouts provided to them to sketch detailed images and practice like the artist John James Audubon, who created detailed prints - hand-colored. To build on their observational skills, attention to detail, and understanding how their Alebrije will incorporate parts from each of their chosen animals. Students are curious and love animals. This unit is intended for them to understand how similar animals are. Culminating in the creation of a mythical creature called an Alebrije.
This component is foundational to the eventual creation of Alebrijes, as it encourages students to consider real-world anatomy and behavior before transforming it creatively. I want students to take notes about the animal’s habitat, and understand how they live, eat, and what other factors might be harming it. As for animal prey or predator, all these components are going to help the student understand animal behavior at the very lowest level, not like a zoologist, however; it will trigger an interest in what zoos and zoologists do. This is the spark that might lend students to want to pursue a career in animal science, veterinary, or even a zoologist just like it did for one of my students who is currently at Cornell learning about animal science to become a veterinarian.
This phase of the unit will introduce students to Alebrijes and their roots in Mexican folk art. We will discuss Pedro Linares’ original vision—how his fever dream inspired a new artistic form that combined real and imagined animals into creatures of symbolic power. We will explore how Alebrijes are used to represent emotions, fears, ancestral spirits, and hope. This will include a power point presentation with many visual images of the work of several artists: Pedro Linares, Miguel Linares (son of Linares), students will take a virtual tour of the National Museum of Mexican Art and look specifically at the works noted earlier. Students will do a close read at the biography of Pedro Linares and watch a documentary on him based on the work by Judith Bronoski’s, filmed in 1975. This is important to watch to get a better understanding of the work P. Linares explains cartoneria and how he produces the Alebrije with the help of his family.
In parallel, students will study the work of Lori Hogin, particularly how she manipulates hybrid forms to comment on contemporary ecological and political issues. Her art will serve as a model of how to infuse surreal, imaginative forms with real-world relevance. Students will practice designing their own hybrids using a combination of mammals, reptiles, birds, insects, and human-made objects, considering what each element symbolizes in an ecological or social context. Students will also have an opportunity to view additional work generously provided by L. Hogin.
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