The Huichol Indians of west Mexico practice an indigenous form of shamanism in the Sierra Madre, but their shamanic art is now sold in the global marketplace. Through the visual medium of yarn paintings—a religious offering transformed into commercial art—Hui— chol artists describe their gods, shamanic curing and ceremony. Shamanic art may be seen as a mode of discourse about shamanic knowledge, but buyers do not always understand what the Huichol artists may be saying about their tradition. The term "shamanic art" itself is debated, and the author distinguishes between art on shamanic subjects, visionary art and shamanic ritual art. The article is based on ongoing anthropological research and interviews with Huichol artists since 1988.
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