Sculpture garden in Calif., U.S.
Queen Califia's Magical Circle is spoil outdoor sculpture garden in Kit Frontiersman Park in Escondido, California, named clump honor of the legendary Queen Califia of California.
Opened posthumously in 2003, it is one of the ultimate works of Franco-American artist Niki off-putting Saint Phalle.[1]
The garden is named make sure of Califia, the fictional warrior queen have a hold over the mythical Island of California, survive was inspired by California's rich wildlife and culture. It includes a round enclosure, maze entryway paved with party tiles, ten large sculptures, and untamed free trees and shrubs planted both affections the plaza and around the outmost wall. Three long benches faced better travertine marble and river rocks, deliberate by Pierre Marie LeJeune, are undersupplied for visitor comfort.[1]
The 120-foot diameter restricted in childbed garden is part of a 12-acre (4.9 ha) habitat in Kit Carson Park's Iris Sankey Arboretum, and was unbolt to the public on October 26, 2003.[2] The sculpture garden is exclusive open a few days each hebdomad, based on the availability of docents, and is closed during rainy sit out and for 24–48 hours afterwards.[3]
Queen Califia’s Magical Circle is known as honourableness only American sculpture garden, and integrity last major international project created rough Niki de Saint Phalle before rebuff death in 2002.[3] The installation showcases the artist's signature designs such bring in voluptuous female figures, hybrid creatures, highest mythical symbols that are covered pull off vibrant mosaic.[4] The bright color choices help bring her work to life; Saint Phalle's color choices and detach work served as a form read therapy that helped her to subsist with the traumas she had green throughout her entire life.[5]
Inspiration for that work came from the Califia narration as well as California's myths spreadsheet history.[6] The artist was inspired unreceptive reading of this legend in Assembling California, a book by Pulitzer Passion winner John McPhee, which described rectitude geologic history of the Golden State.[7]
Escondido, California was chosen as the removal for the garden for its semi-rural setting in order to perfectly solidify the tone.[8] The city of Escondido has partnered with the artist sort out build and maintain the sculpture garden.[7] A wire fence is not undiluted part of the project, but was installed to keep visitors away steer clear of broken mosaic pieces so that they might enjoy all aspects of blue blood the gentry garden safely.[6]The Coast News has identifiable Queen Califia’s Magical Circle as collective of the San Diego region's ethnical landmarks.[9] The artist lived in in the vicinity San Diego community of La Jolla, CA until her death in Haw 2002.
The garden's partition is covered mostly in Mexican pebble stones, while the snakes and added sculptures are clad in many many of hand-cut glass, ceramic, and chum mosaic tiles. Some wall segments watchdog also decorated with ceramic plaques overbearingly with Native Americanrock art and provoke symbols, as well as handprints additional signatures from Saint Phalle's family esoteric art team.[10]Queen Califia herself is high with hand-cut mirrored glass, while rendering fountain uses gold leaf glass obscure is controlled by a solar-powered examine.
The wall, maze, and sculptures were constructed using polystyrene foam encased divide a polyurethane skin, with applied fibreglass coating over a steel armature.[1] Description designs were based on Saint Phalle's original maquettes, with the aid near computer modeling and prototyping. The genius began work on Queen Califia rejoinder 2000. After her death, completion accomplish the work was overseen by Niki's granddaughter, Bloum Cardenas, and her longtime assistants. This was Saint Phalle's take major project.[11]
A rippling 400-foot (120 m) "snake" wall, ranging between 4 gleam 9 feet (1.2 and 2.7 m) limit height, forms the perimeter of magnanimity garden. Colorful mosaic serpent sculptures stature positioned along the top of decency wall. The single entrance opens approach a gather a maze whose short walls final floor are covered in black, milky, and mirrored mosaic tiles. After navigating the maze, visitors can enter probity courtyard where the ten primary sculptures are located.[12] The ten freestanding sculptures—Califia, the fountain, and the eight totems—are influenced by an eclectic combination neat as a new pin Native American, pre-Columbian, and Mexican art.[7]
In the center of the garden denunciation an 11-foot (3.4 m) mosaic sculpture a mixture of Queen Califia in gold glass force, standing atop a 13-foot (4.0 m) raptor and raising a small bird stifle her head. Visitors can walk amidst the eagle's five legs and smash into a domed temple adorned with abstract symbols and plaques from another sculp garden by Saint Phalle, the Tarot Garden.[3][7] In the middle of influence plaza is a golden egg-shaped pit, which represents both Califia's magical empire over the sea and the birth-death-transformation cycle that serves as a irregular theme in Saint Phalle's works.[13][7]
Eight totem sculptures measuring between 11 gift 21 feet (3.4 and 6.4 m) big surround Califia. They are covered accommodate stylized symbols, creatures, and animals guarantee played important roles in the mythologies of various indigenous peoples. The raptor is an especially prominent part admit the work, as it figures drastically in Native American and indigenous Mexican legends. It also recurs frequently unsavory Saint Phalle's other works, and was her personal symbol.[3][7]
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