But while Paz's poetic convictions are rooted in profound knowledge of Oriental philosophy, Vicu a's trust in the power of language is the result of ongoing inquiry into the intricate complexities of Andean languages and their poetic tradition. Although her work has received little critical attention, Vicu a is one of the most protean and talented Latin American artists today. Borrowing themes and techniques form both Western and Amerindian models, Vicu a creates her own singular, artistic universe, a collage of old and new forms. In this postmodern era, her work is a unique synthesis of the artistic traditions of Europe, Latin America, and the ancient noncanonical heritage of Andean poetry. Strings or scraps of cloth contain hidden messages and powerful secrets.
Art is therefore the act of connecting or uniting that which apparently has no relationship.
In the book, Vicu a establishes, on the one hand, most convincingly the autonomy of language, and, on the other, the romantic vision of the poet as someone who has access to the truth One of the most important aspects of this book, and indeed all of her work, is the process of the dissecting of language into semantic units, in an attempt to give back to every word its archaic meaning, its power as an instrument for acquiring wisdom and knowledge. La Wik'u a , the most recent of her major works, is also the most mature and most cryptic of the three. Here the poems are like ritual acts, powerful mantras that cast a spell over nature or human life in order in influence the unfolding of future events. Watunasimi, el lenguaje tejido crea el Mundo en or culos, par bolas y advinanzas. Vicu a's poetry, especially here, like that of the Inca is designed for collective use and and is written to be sung in the open air, in nature.