Aztec Altar, 2016, mixed media, 31 x 23 in. / 78.74 x 58.42 cm.

Aztec Altar, Nancy Bardach, 2016, mixed media, 31 x 23 in. / 78.74 x 58.42 cm.

Cotton: hand dyed, marbelized, shibbori dyed; batt, threads.

This stepped-stone Aztec altar has solidity and strength. Patterned steps and columns hold it together. On it, In the garden courtyard at Casa Azul in Mexico City, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo displayed pre-Columbian sculptures, cacti and other plants. Bloodlines unfold it and remind us of her.