Codex Espangliensis: From Columbus to the Border Patrol

by Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Enrique Chagoya, Felicia Rice

Inspired by the pre-Hispanic codices that escaped immolation during colonial invasions, this artists' book opens out in accordion folds expanding to a length of over 21 feet. Rice has created a series of beautiful and jarring montages in which the mixture of languages, slang, poetry, and prose of Gómez-Peña's performance texts are woven through and around Chagoya's collages filled with pre-Hispanic drawings, colonial-era representations of New World natives, and comic book superheroes. Irreverent to the last, Gómez-Peña and Chagoya employ iconic figures and persistent stereotypes to overturn the fantasies of nationalism, ethnocentrism, and historical amnesia that cloud international relations. Rice's masterful typographic compositions orchestrate the text's many voices and views, offering a history of the Americas which must be read forward and backward, in fragments and in recurring episodes―in short, as history itself tends to unfold.

Genres: Art, Poetry

45 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Aarrow Chase-Mitchell]

This book is a work of Art, I hope it stays out of print because it should be treated as such. I just got mine for under $50.00, I've been looking for months and I finally got my own copy. To the moon. Art that matters

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oscillating between playful and cynical, this unusually formatted book exhibits collage art and prose (occasionally in Spanish) playing around with alternate histories and common narratives about Mexican immigrants and artist expatriates living in the United States and Chicano culture.

[Frederic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great example of book-as-object, with its fold-out codex-inspired format, but also a work of artistic commentary on Latin American history and colonialism.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Codex Espangliensis is an inventive art and poetry book that critiques colonial history and the effects of both it and capitalism on present day Latinos and Mexican Americans (to name a few). Physically structured like ancient codices, this accordion book, designed by Felicia Rice, unfolds to reveal artful woodblock inspired illustrations and vintage ephemera collage by renowned visual artist Enrique Chagoya. The text by Guillermo Gomez-Pena performs throughout as both muse and indictment. The cadenced sentences sometimes slip back and forth between Spanish and English and are especially provacative for anyone with a general knowledge of both languages:

"Que western utopia ni que la chingada (with french accent)Chingada-da-da, da-da les infants de la chingada you and I, pollito, right here, bien "mean", los vatos relamidos in front of all these turistas monolingues in a museum of natural history as supposed to one of contemporary art. Que vida loca! my crazy life! La Vida en llama, my life in flames, placaza de la memoria, untranslatable pain..."

Chagoya and Gomez-Pena weave a visual poem that teeters on the threshold of agitation and uncertainty. I highly recommend this book for all trans-national border dwellers and any parched gringos who are ready to drink the bitter swill of ancestral history. I also recommend it to everyone else. Its a lovely book.

[Brigette · Rating 4 out of 5]

An artist's book, a political commentary, a post-colonial history weaving together fabulous collages and sharp, irreverent text. Patterned on pre-Columbian codices, the book opens from right to left in an accordian fold that stretches out 21 feet...in other words, it's a little unwieldy but worth it.

[Isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is an astonishing, beautiful work. my response to it was visceral, completely physically palpable - i literally yelled aloud during portions of it (the colonization of europzin and the auctioning of the new world, to be more particular). fantastic, fantastic, send it to your friends, force it upon everyone you know

[Dawn Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time! Anything by Guillermo Gomez-Pena is worth reading. Enrique Chagoya is an awesome artist. My only complaint is the text is so small that I have to put the book up to my face to read it.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This can be a hard one to come by, but it is amazing, amazing amazing. NAFTA, pre-columbian/mexican art (and politics), colonialism, satire, and/or collage- if any of these words spark your interest check this one out.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

the absolute best