Changing Dreams: A Generation of Oaxaca's Woodcarvers

In 1993, author/journalist Shepard Barbash and photographer Vicki Ragan published the best seller Oaxacan Wood Carving: The Magic in the Trees that chronicled the art of Oaxacan wood carvers. Changing Dreams, a photo documentary style book, takes a generation-long look at the fast-changing world of the woodcarvers in Oaxaca, an increasingly popular tourist center where the carvers have become the main attraction. Faced with a range of negative trends, a number of Oaxacan artisans put aside their craft to become mojados, or illegal workers, drawn by the economic opportunities north of the border.