The Private Life of Paño Arte
about 3 months ago (02/08/2024)
The Private Life of Paño Arte Skip to content Unrecorded artist, “Deana” (date unknown), ink and colored pencil on cotton, 15 x 15 inches (all photos by Reno Leplat-Torti, courtesy the Reno-Leplat-Torti Collection) I first encountered paño arte , intricate ink or pencil drawings on handkerchiefs created by incarcerated Chicanos, as a boy in south Texas. My older cousin had received a letter from Huntsville State Penitentiary. Every inch of the envelope was decorated with an elaborate web of images executed in ballpoint pen.