Photo Field Trip

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February 10, 2007

Saturday the 10th Andy headed to the U of A baseball game (8-0) and Jennie to the San Xavier Mission for a Zen Photography class field trip.

Mission San Xavier del Bac, an historic Spanish mission located south of Tucson, was originally founded in 1699 by the Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino. The current building, built between 1783-1797, is still actively used by Franciscans and the Native American community. Also known as the “White Dove of the Desert,” the pristine white structure stands alone on the desert floor near the Santa Cruz river, which apparently surfaces in this spot (although there is no sign of it at the moment.) The church structure has a look of being unfinished—possibly as a way to avoid taxes long ago since buildings under construction were exempt from taxation.

Inside the building are richly decorated, finely detailed and colorful statues, frescoes, and paintings. There is a lot of faux art (trump loi) within the chapel area giving the visitor a sense of extraordinary craftsmanship and attention to detail (marbling, tiles, chair backs) when indeed the artists did not have the funds to tile, import marble or carve every detail. Entryways are constructed with massive mesquite doors and beautiful brass handles.

The mission is currently undergoing major exterior renovations. Apparently, repair done in the 1980’s with stucco is doing more damage to the church than good by trapping water on the inside. So it is being replaced with traditional mud plaster, which breathes better.

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Photos

OUTSIDE VIEW
Showing the tower under scaffolding. The tower in the foreground never actually was finished.

OUTSIDE
Back view of San Xavier Mission.

ORNATE BRASS HANDLE
on heavy mesquite door

ANOTHER INTERIOR
The blue mosaic look on the pillar is actually dots of blue finger prints.

TRUMP LOI
If you can't afford leather back rests or carved wooden details and legs, just paint them.

LAST SUPPER
Beautifully detailed mural. If you look carefully (not necessarily in this photo) you can see Lucifer in the curtain folds on the right side.

INTERIOR ANGEL
Just one of many cherubs