Guatemala Rainbow

By Gianni Vecchiato

Book Overview

Guatemala is one of the few places on earth where traditional textile arts from ancient cultures survive: Mayan spinners and weavers still produce the brilliant, vivid hues and traditional motifs used... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0876544448
• ISBN13: 9780876544440
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: Pomegranate
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 12.0" x 0.5" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Documentary photography

I bought this book for my girlfriend who is going to Guatemala for an 8-week field study for her master's degree in anthropology. The pictures are in no way artistic photographs, I would classify them as documentary photos. There are a few that have some drama or depth to them, but most are simply documenting the Guatemalen culture through thier famous colorful weavings and how they use them. My girlfriend and I wish that the pictures had lengthier captions to explain what we were looking at, as most of the images only have the name of the city they are from. There is a brief and simple introduction at the beginning of the book about Guatmalen culture, the weavings and Mayan history, but the rest of the book is all pictures. I gave it to my girlfriend to get her excited and motivated for her coming field study, and in that respect I guess the book was a success!

Stunning!

I bought this book for my family as we are adopting a child from Guatemala. This was one of the only books with pictures of the culture that I could find, and I am SO glad that I did. I can be rest assured that my son will feel pleasure and pride in his birth-country after looking at the pictures in this book. It is a beautiful, colorful, and rich culture that deserves to be displayed vividly for all to see!

Pot of Gold

Stunning images, true to Guatemalan life. Not just "pictures". A window into a beautiful land with colorful people. !EXCELLENTE!

A pot of gold

Guatemala Rainbow is just what I hoped it might be and more- the photos are stunning and full of local color. They portray the personality of the Guatemalan people. Having lived in Central America, I can say that they authentically document the typical lifestyle of those outside the capital city, free from United States' influence. This will be a real gem in my collection for Spanish classes as I introduce the students to the culture. The images will help them get a feel for being there.

Gorgeous in all ways

This is an astonishingly beautiful books of color photographs of Guatemalan people (and their animals) amidst their traditional woven textiles. The introduction gives a respectful and knowledgable overview. Vecchiato: "Mayan weaving is a celebration of feelings shared in common by an entire ethnic group." He provides background and a brief description of the harsh political climate of Mayan Guatemala. The pictures are full of life and joy. Market scenes; babies, children, parents, old folks; processions; plus tender and intimate moments - along with the statement that "they will never reveal themselves completely to any one of us." This is a wonderful book.