spanish colonial mission churches

This portfolio is one complete work comprised of 17 individually framed drawings by Scott W Parker.

There are 17 Spanish Colonial Mission Churches in the state of New Mexico that date to the 17th century. Some of these are vibrant and active today while others lie in ruin. When Spanish explorers pushed north from Mexico in search of riches they traveled with missionaries who searched for “souls.” The Spanish Colonial Mission Church Portfolio is a collection of chalk pastel drawings of the 17 Mission structures that were built on the Pueblos and in the region as a result of the introduction of Spanish Missionaries. This series is the tangible result of my inquiry into the history of New Mexico. The confluence of indigenous cultures with european culture through exploration fueled by ideas of colonization of both territory and “souls” is very much apparent in modern New Mexico 400 years later. These images represent history of the many lives lived and lost in the communities where the Missions were built. These images represent the traditions of people living today and the memory of the consequences of colonization. After centuries of politics and power struggles many of the active existing churches exist on the Pueblos where the people maintain their native beliefs and practices too. 
The leadership of each Pueblo determine their own law, laws that extend to every visitor. In creating this series I honored and respected the wishes of each Pueblo. Some prohibit photography and sketching while other Pueblos allow for making images with permission and or a fee. After visiting each site I returned to my studio to produce these works.