Night Vision

Inspired by ancient representations of Maya rulers, Patricia Ancona Ha depicted a female figure, seated crossed-legged on an altar or stone dais that is decorated with hieroglyphs in the style of Maya script. Around her body twists a dragon-headed vision serpent, a symbol of communication with deceased ancestors who are summoned for their wise advice. The Maya achieved a hallucinogenic vision of the snake through a ritual process involving fasting and bloodletting. Here, the mysterious quality of the vision is enhanced by the nocturnal setting under the light of a crescent moon. During the 1970s and ’80s, advances in Mesoamerican scholarship facilitated Chicanx artists’ access to the art and culture of the Ancient Americas.