Following is the FAQ page from the old Papalotl Design Group site as a source of information for those interested:
Q What was the origin of the Mesoamerican Adaptation images?
A They were derived from an ancient site in Chiapas, Mexico, that lay buried in the jungle from the eighth century until rediscovered in 1946 when a group of Lacandon Indians led photographer Giles Healey to the ruins.
A They were derived from an ancient site in Chiapas, Mexico, that lay buried in the jungle from the eighth century until rediscovered in 1946 when a group of Lacandon Indians led photographer Giles Healey to the ruins.
Q Were they in perfect condition, as they appear in these images?
A No. Although they were the finest and most complete murals yet discovered in Maya art, they had been affected by time in various ways. Calcified deposits covered portions of the murals and actually helped preserve what lay beneath to some degree. Colors were faded and details missing in spots. Of the three rooms completely covered by murals, Room 1 was most fortunate in its condition. Large portions of Rooms 1 and 2 had damage that obscured large sections of intricate battle scenes and victory rituals after the battle. still, many fine figures and clusters remain in a state sufficient to reveal the idea of the original murals.
A No. Although they were the finest and most complete murals yet discovered in Maya art, they had been affected by time in various ways. Calcified deposits covered portions of the murals and actually helped preserve what lay beneath to some degree. Colors were faded and details missing in spots. Of the three rooms completely covered by murals, Room 1 was most fortunate in its condition. Large portions of Rooms 1 and 2 had damage that obscured large sections of intricate battle scenes and victory rituals after the battle. still, many fine figures and clusters remain in a state sufficient to reveal the idea of the original murals.
Many years ago when Felipe Davalos was a young and adventurous artist/archaeologist onsite at the Bonampak excavation, he studied the murals in great detail. As a result of his efforts and knowledge of the murals, he was invited to replicate the entire Room 1 set of murals at the Natural History Museum in Gainesville, Florida. (They have since ben destroyed in remodeling.) His paintings were not a portrayal of the current state of the murals, but a powerful replication based on research and personal knowledge that enabled him to paint them as they may have appeared during time the Maya created them and focused ritual occasions around their mythic qualities.
Then, in 1995, Davalos came to Sacramento, California, to execute a project comprised of portable murals drawn from the earlier replications. Carol Gilbert-Wagner met him through a mutual acquaintance who was sponsoring the project and was hired to work in-studio on the murals. The job was of substantial size, so she was joined by a colleague, Rachel Stonecipher, and the two were trained by Davalos in his "system" of Maya painting techniques.
Q What, exactly, did the two artists learn?
A They learned to prepare surfaces for a simulated fresco technique utilizing modern media; the Maya painted on specially prepared plastered walls. They learned the sophisticated color palette used at Bonampak, which relates closely to other sites in Mesoamerica. They learned the subtleties of line work used by Mayan artists and how every element of the composition was crucial to every other element, combining to form wonderfully synthesized works of art.
A They learned to prepare surfaces for a simulated fresco technique utilizing modern media; the Maya painted on specially prepared plastered walls. They learned the sophisticated color palette used at Bonampak, which relates closely to other sites in Mesoamerica. They learned the subtleties of line work used by Mayan artists and how every element of the composition was crucial to every other element, combining to form wonderfully synthesized works of art.
Q The paintings appear to have a somewhat aged look even though the colors are bright and fresh. Why is that?
A Because the originals were housed within three rooms of a temple built especially for that purpose, in which there were no windows, one low-cut entrance, and built-in benches and platforms from which to view the murals, they would have quickly been affected by smoke from torches and burning of copal for incense, and moisture from human breath in such an enclosed space. The replications have been painted over a treated surface that implies some coloration from natural sources during their lifetime and, finally, a very thin glaze or "patina" to soften and blend the colors to simulate the curing of the surfaces over time.
A Because the originals were housed within three rooms of a temple built especially for that purpose, in which there were no windows, one low-cut entrance, and built-in benches and platforms from which to view the murals, they would have quickly been affected by smoke from torches and burning of copal for incense, and moisture from human breath in such an enclosed space. The replications have been painted over a treated surface that implies some coloration from natural sources during their lifetime and, finally, a very thin glaze or "patina" to soften and blend the colors to simulate the curing of the surfaces over time.
