special hats

Mexican artisan Armando Ramirez has a special knack for creating unique sculptures from recycled auto parts and scrap metal, as shown in this wonderful sculpture of a drummer. The rustic artwork is beautifully detailed, from the high-hat cymbals to the logo on the bass drum.

Life imitates art, as is evident in this terrific sculpture from Mexico's Jorge Escamilla. The ceramic and wire catrin figure is clad in a work apron as he crafts his own catrina from clay. Escamilla pays tribute to José Guadalupe Posada with his delightful statuette.
The original "La Calavera Catrina" was a zinc etching created by the artist José Guadalupe Posada in Mexico around 1910. Posada created the character, a female skeleton with an elegant hat, as a satirical portrait to lampoon Mexican natives who aspired to European style and denied their own heritage. The catrina has since become an emblem of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and a popular folk art subject.

In an homage to José Guadalupe Posada's "La Calavera Catrina", Mexico's Jorge Escamilla creates this unique sculpture. Wearing overalls and a hard hat and carrying a wrench and a lunchbox, the skeletal tradesman is crafted of clay and steel wire. The original "La Calavera Catrina" was a zinc etching created by the artist José Guadalupe Posada in Mexico around 1910. Posada created the character, a female skeleton with an elegant hat, as a satirical portrait to lampoon Mexican natives who aspired to European style and denied their own heritage. The catrina has since become an emblem of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and a popular folk art subject.

Working with recycled auto parts and scrap metal, Mexico's Armando Ramirez creates wonderful eco-friendly sculptures like this rustic surveyor. Wearing a hard hat, he peers through his theodolite, a precision instrument designed to measure angles between designated points. A safety cone at his feet completes the artisan's terrific design.