Andean culture and worldview

The four most important attributes of the Andean worldview were collectivity, reciprocity, transformation, and essence. Collectivity meant that the group meant more than the whole, even though individuals were not considered equal. Reciprocity meant that all parts are related. With this theory, everything is connected. For example, the Inca found connections with all the stars in the sky. Pairs and opposites interlocking were valuable in Andean art and their worldview. Transformation was another important aspect of their worldview. They believed that the universe transformed from one plane to another, even seeing life and death as a natural cycle.

As Pollock reinforces in his art, Andean culture valued "essence over appearance." With this said, with the worldview and art, we see the symbolism and inner core being favored since it was created for the supernatural.

It seems to me that humans stand to be merely a byproduct of the world in the eyes of the Andean culture. The individual stands less important when compared to the whole, and all are united and connected, thus making the whole more important once again. The worldview that the Andeans possess is really juxtaposed compared to that of a typical American’s worldview. I look forward to visiting the Andean region one day to fully see what this worldview looks like.

Aztec Mask of Tezcatlipoca

I was instantly drawn to this mask because of the bright contrast in colors, its eerie likeness to a real human face, and the sense of power that it evokes. The likeness to a human face as well as the attributes it has of a supernatural deity are both evident in this mask. The combination of the aforementioned elements is quite spectacular. The human likeness of the skull as well as the very authentic-looking teeth make one think that Texcatlipoca dwelled among the Aztec society. Nevertheless, its human-like qualities only go so far. The mask’s determined, fixated eyes, zorroesque type mask within the mask and powerful mouth suggest a magical god. This mask left me with a peculiar feeling; although I felt this mask was gorgeous, I don’t know if I would have wanted to get too close. There was something the drew me in but kept me on edge at the same time.
According to the website of the British Museum, the god Texcatlipoca was indeed represented often by the black stripes on his face as well as displayed in his headdress. “The eyes are made of two orbs of polished iron pyrite framed by rings made of white conch (Strombus) shell.” The nose is also lined with a different type of thorny oyster red shell. The vastly diverse elements chosen for this mask made it truly unique.
I really enjoyed scrutinizing this mask. It made me think of modern times and the way that masks enter into our everyday life. The great difference for our main religion, Christianity, is that our God has much more human likeness than the many gods of the Aztecs. When we recreate scenes from the Bible, we play out the roles of Jesus, however masks are not needed. It makes me wonder that if the gods that we worship were more supernatural and magical, would we recreate them in different forms in order to give them life?
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aoa/m/mosaic_mask_of_tezcatlipoca.aspx