I have included this work because the artist, Ruben Gonzalez was directly influenced by the art of Patrocino Barela. In the 1950s Gonzalez traveled to Taos from his home in the southwestern part of New Mexico expressly to meet Barela. After this visit Gonzalez returned to Hurley and carved this sculpture as a tribute to Barela and his art. It represents a mother's struggle to protect her children from danger, evil and suffering.
Carved from a large heavy stump, Gonzalez accidentally created a black surface by pouring a flammable liquid over the finished work and setting it on fire, believing the process would result in a smooth patina. Instead, the wood burst into fire and by the time it was extinguished, the flames had burned the surface black. Having no choice but to accept the result, Ruben applied layers of lacquer to seal the surface. He told me he ended up pleased with the black patina because it gave more power to the artwork.
Ruben Gonzalez's art is in the Smithsonian in Washington DC and at the Hirshhorn Museum. He was awarded a life time artist in residence position at Western New Mexico University in Silver City.     
Although known for his constructivist work using found objects, this remarkable carving is one of the few figurative pieces Ruben did in his lifetime. The work is surprisingly reminiscent of German expressionist artist Käthe Kollwitz (July 8, 1867 – April 22, 1945). Her work portrayed the suffering of peasants fighting oppression. By comparison Ruben Gonzalez worked his entire adult life in the copper mines in Santa Rita and participated in the strikes there to unionize. These often violent events were made internationally famous by the movie, “Salt of the Earth.”