Sacred Puma (but more often the brand)

Observations of mass production/consumption

The Cusco market is absolutely full of object and activity. As we walk the four blocks from plaza del arms to the marketplace, both sides of the sidewalk are coated with bags, hats and sweaters, jewellery of wire, threads and precious stones, knickknacky souvenirs, llamas, guinea pig or bull figurines. The streets, particularly crowded during the Inti Raymi festival weekend, generate a crescendo of consumption. Venders and their loot receiving lots of looks from distracted passerbys, crowding and colliding into each other on the narrow walkway. I’m recently back from this excursion, so in this entry expect the jumbled, overstimulated, half-defined observations on the topic of production and sale.

Inside the marcado is the living lore of trade, stalls piling high with goods. Seriously, it was countless the amount of things! In the variable spread of object and food stuffs, a commonality of products is that they are all proudly Peruvian. Aguas de flores inflused in Ancash, cigars of Ica Tobacco, items made from baby alpaca wool harvested in Huaraz, Shipibo textiles patterns… handmade?

The sad reality of factory production obscuring the market of artisanal crafts was mentioned by locals in both Pisac and Ollantaytambo, and no doubt applies to this much larger city, Cusco. It’s inevitable, while still intriguing, the production d/evolution of items iconically Peruvian. The beginning of commodity chains, is the production of said commodity. For example, textiles: it’s the skills of working with (natural) materials and pigments via techniques mastered over generation; this activity of creating items is the economic livelihood of artisans while also exists as an important lifeline of cultural practice and personal generative actions. I mean by this that we humans are creators, we must must must keep making! I believe this to be our procreative nature, our fulfillment in creative processes and production. But when metallic mechanisms operating in factories monopolies with mass production, where does that latent energy go? Pushing people into purchase, to lighten the load they accumulate from wholesale warehouses? (disclaimer: I inquire with critic though absolutely no disrespect be attached to the souls who find themselves in this reality, recognizing a structure overbearing individual ideals is at play).

Creation, collection, and trade is a system of sustenance central to economies, an exchange system. This marketplace is the amalgamation of such activity involved in cultural consumption. And beside the strong feelings of mass production, is a thought about how trade has also d/evolved and adapted since the origination of this occupation-lifestyle. Standing beneath and scanning these mountains of things, I thought about the tradesmen of the past, trekking to new locations for sales and commodity swapping with all they could manage to carry on their backs. I picture a classic format of this livelihood, people who had relevant items and options to present to people in places it’s not yet available. A consumer able to frugally decide what they are needing, deciding between originals rarely replicated. I’m not sure… there appears to be a line between abundance and copious plethora of items in unending cycles of consumption (and then disposal!!!? ~decomposition)

I have an appreciation of artistry and I am not at all immune to being drawn to the piles, shopping for gifts and memorabilia, but what is clear is the nature of this exchange, assembled within the marketplace, detracts the maker from their making. Possibly, items are made to prioritise the consumer’s compatibility over any other standard of necessity, a standard reminiscent to the criteria of a past trademan’s collection.

Are items iconically Peruvian, ironically non-Peruvian by function of foreign consumption?  Does the presentation of abundance that leaks out onto the streets leading to the marketplace say something about the de/valuation of the production of Peru?