Silver On Silver William Spratling Analysis

When William Spratling was first invited to teach at the National University of Mexico in the summers of 1926-1928 no one would imagine this man would immigrate to Taxco and have a big impact on silver. Spratling played a big role in development, migration, and folk Mexican culture. At the time his work may not have seemed like a big deal but its influenced Mexican culture enough to be proudly displayed in the Mexican Cultural Institute 16th St mansion. The name of the event I chose to attend is “ Silver on Silver, William Spratling an American in Taxco” exhibit, where they displayed pieces created by Spratling and his journey in Mexico. The event took place in the Mexican Cultural Institute, a mansion with marble floors and bright colorful …show more content…
There was no one else on the first floor just the work of William Spratling and me. On the walls were biographies and details of Spratlings journeys in Mexico. The walls were painted a soft yellow and made the room feel cozy and warm. Luckily I was the only one there and could take my time about and admiring each work of art. Most pieces were displayed separately; only very few had 2 or 3 in a case, each with its own description. As I walked into the second room of the exhibit the descriptions started explaining the friendships he made, like painter Diego Rivera, and his accomplishment setting up silver workshops in Taxco. He even hired craftsmen from that area to work with silver as well. Many then split off and started their own workshops, developing Taxco into a silver industry. At the end of the exhibit they showed the lasting effects of Spratlings work till today. The legacy he left behind, as an American in Mexico is somewhat shocking. It’s important for these events to take place in the D.C area because there are many Mexicans and Mexican- Americans in this community. Not only can they learn about people that influenced their own culture, but other Latinos and people from other cultures can learn about an important pillar in Mexican …show more content…
He first went to teach and while there he was influenced to stay and develop his silver shop. This relates back to migration; he left the United States to live in Mexico, something highly uncommon today. Today the migration patterns show that the three largest migration flows are from Asia to Europe, Asia to North America and Latin America to North America. He emigrated for economic reasons; his pull factor was his desire to develop Taxco and what resources were left in the silver mines into a new artistic silver industry. Like many immigrants, he knew that leaving to another country could bring better economic