Avarice Unveiled: Exploring Fernando Mastrangelo’s Tablet Sculpture at the Brooklyn Museum
Sitting in front of the interesting “Avarice” sculpture by Fernando Mastrangelo, my mind wandered to the ancient Aztec Calendar Stone. That stone is like a magical storyteller, sharing tales about how the Aztec world began, stories of the Earth going through different times, and the importance of the Sun God.
Mastrangelo’s artwork, “Avarice,” mixes old and new. It’s like putting the Sun God Tonatiuh in the middle of everyday things like medicines, drinks, candy, spark plugs, and toothpaste. This mix made me smile because it’s like connecting the past with what we see around us now. The sculpture also has a lot of corn stuff, showing how Mexico has been growing corn for a long time for energy and to sell to other places.
Looking at Mastrangelo’s art made me curious about the Aztec past and I started looking for more information on that. It’s like a puzzle, and I wanted to know more about their stories, history, and what they believed in, including ancient wisdom and mysteries hidden in the Aztec past.
Long ago, the Aztecs believed in a powerful Sun God named Tonatiuh. They thought the world had been created and destroyed four times before, and each time, a new era began. Tonatiuh was crucial because he brought light and warmth to the world.
One of their stories tells about the creation of the fifth era. The gods gathered at a place called Teotihuacan and decided to make a new sun to bring life back to Earth. They needed a brave god to become the new Sun God. Nanahuatzin, a humble and sickly god, volunteered. To become the sun, he had to jump into a great fire.
Nanahuatzin bravely jumped into the flames, and as he did, he transformed into Tonatiuh, the radiant Sun God. The other gods were amazed at his sacrifice, and they decided to honor him. They also created a new moon, and so the fifth era began with the Sun and the Moon lighting up the sky. (https://www.thoughtco.com/aztec-creation-myth-169337)
This story, like many others from the Aztec past, was told to explain the mysteries of the world and the cycles of life. It gives us a look into the complex and fascinating stories and beliefs of the Aztecs that have fascinated people for generations. It’s always interesting to learn the unknown, to seek understanding, and to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the world around us.
