BGuthrie Photos: CA -- Escondido -- Queen Califia's Magical Circle

CA -- Escondido -- Queen Califia's Magical Circle:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. CALIFI_120710_040.JPG: There's been a fair amount of damage to the piece -- many of the mirrored pieces have been broken.
2. CALIFI_120710_058.JPG: Niki's name appears periodically throughout the sculpture
3. CALIFI_120710_182.JPG: MZ
4. CALIFI_120710_185.JPG: Niki
5. CALIFI_120710_193.JPG: Niki
6. CALIFI_120710_269.JPG: Niki de Saint Phalle's Queen Califia's Magical Circle The Only American Sculpture Garden by this Internationally-Acclaimed Artist Califia's Magical Circle, the only American sculpture garden created by renowned French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle, has opened in Escondido's Iris Sankey Arboretum in Kit Carson Park. The garden promises to become an instantaneous cultural landmark for the San Diego region -- a place where visitors can roam at will, play, touch, dream, and "find inspiration in Saint Phalle's extraordinary homage to California's mythic and historic origins and its cultural diversity," said Susan Pollack, who manages Escondido's Public Art Program. Niki de Saint Phalle was born in 1930 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, and raised in New York City. She began painting in 1948, moved four years later to Europe (Nice, Paris, and Mallorca), and first came to international prominence in 1961 as a member of the influential "New Realists," a group that also included Christo, Yves Klein, and Jean Tinguely (her frequent collaborator whom she married in 1971). Today, she is best known for her oversized, voluptuous female figures, the Nanas, which can be seen in cities and museums around the world. Among her large-scale installations are the Stravinsky Fountain near the Centre Pompidou in Paris (1983), the Tarot Garden at Garavicchio in southern Tuscany (which was entirely financed by the artist and opened after twenty-four years of work in 1998), and the Grotto in Hannover's Royal Herrenhausen Garden (2003). A Gift for Southern California and Its Children: Saint Phalle continued living near Paris until 1994 when, for reasons of poor health (brought about by exposure to toxic fumes from polyester materials used in her early sculptures), she moved to La Jolla, California. "California has been a rebirth for my soul and an earthquake for my eyes -- sea, desert, mountains, wide open sky, brilliance of light and vastness of space," she once remarked. "I have embraced another way of life, and have let my discovery of this landscape manifest itself in my work." "Queen Califia's Magical Circle is my grandmother's gift to the region," said Bloum Cardenas, a Bay Area artist and trustee of the newly established Niki Charitable Art Foundation. "Niki's first significant architectural project was The Bird's Dream and she called it that because her personal symbol was the eagle. This garden, then, is the final realization of the bird's dream, Niki's dream, to create a wonderful legacy for a place she dearly loved." The garden is Saint Phalle's last major project and stands as one of only four large-scale sculptural environments designed and built by the artist and her studio. The others are the Tarot Garden, Noah's Ark in Jerusalem, Israel (completed in 2001 in collaboration with Swiss architect Mario Botta), and Hannover's Grotto. Always interested in expanding the audience for contemporary art, Queen Califia is a place for families to gather, play, and engage with a visually rich world of ideas, symbols, and forms. "My first really big piece for kids was the Golem [completed in 1970 in Jerusalem] and three generations know and love it. Here [in Escondido], you can also touch the sculptures," Saint Phalle said in one of her last interviews. "They feel nice and you won't harm them. You can be a part of them … it's like a marriage between the sculptures and the child or adult. Maybe it brings out the child in adults, too." Queen Califia's Magical Circle took nearly four years to plan and execute and Saint Phalle remained totally immersed in the project until just before her death at the age of 71 in May 2002. Foundation trustees Bloum Cardenas, Marcelo Zitelli, and Dave Stevenson have overseen the garden's final staging. They have worked closely with Susan Pollack and Don Anderson, Escondido's Director of Community Services, to ensure that the artist's vision is fully realized, even in the smallest details.
7. CALIFI_120710_273.JPG: Biography: Niki de Saint Phalle was born in France in 1930, and raised in New York. She began painting in 1948 and moved to Europe four years later. She first came to international prominence in 1961 as part of the influential "New Realists," a group that also included Christo, Yves Klein and Jean Tinguely (her frequent collaborator whom she married in 1971). In 1994, Niki moved to La Jolla, California where she lived until her death in May 2002. Queen Califia's Magical Circle was started in 1999 and completed in 2003. It is Niki de Saint Phalle's only American sculpture garden, and one of only four large-scale sculptural environments by the artist.
8. CALIFI_120710_278.JPG: Exploring Queen Califia's Magical Circle -- A Magical Circle -- Where is Queen Califia? (Hint: She is the tallest sculpture in the garden.) Niki de Saint Phalle named this garden after the legendary black warrior, Queen Califia, who was believed to rule an island paradise of gold and riches inhabited only by women. The story was first popularized by Spanish writer Garci Rodriguez Ordonez de Montalvo in his novel, "Las Sergas de Espandian" (The Exploits of Esplandian), published in 1510. Cool Fact; In 1524, when explorer Hernan Cortes landed with his crew in what is known today as Baja California, it is said that he announced to his en that they had arrived in "Califia's land." By 1770, the entire Pacific Coast controlled by Spain was given the name California, and the Spanish-speaking people who lived there were called Californios. Can You Find The Eagles? The eagle is an important bird symbol in Native American, Mexican, and American culture. Niki de Saint Phalle used it in many of her most important sculptures. Cool Fact: In Native American and Mexican myths, the eagle (because of its extraordinarily high flight) was believed to live in closer proximity to the gods than any other creature. How Many Totem Poles Are in the Garden? Eight large totem poles (ranging in height from eleven to twenty-one feet) surround Queen Califia. They are decorated with monsters, protective deities, geometric symbols, crests, skulls, humans, and various animals. What types of birds, animals and marine life can you find and name? Here are a few to look for: a frog, spider, bull, and cat. Cool Fact: "Totem pole" is the name given by Europeans to the magnificently carved wooden pillars made by Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest Coast. What Is Your Favorite Mosaic? The garden is decorated with mosaic designs created by placing small pieces of glass, stone and other materials into a bed of grout or other form of fixative. Mosaics originated with the ancient Greeks and is one of the oldest and most enduring art forms. Cool Fact: It took six craftsmen four months to hand cut and apply the mosaic decoration to Queen Califia. Can You Find Niki's Signature? (Hint: It's near the golden egg fountain) Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) is an international famous French-American artist. Today, her large-scale installations and sculptures are seen in museums and cities around the world. Cool Fact: Niki de Saint Phalle moved form France to La Jolla, California, in 1994. She loved the San Diego region so much that she created this extraordinary garden as her gift for our community and its children.
9. CALIFI_120710_281.JPG: Queen Califia and the Naming of the Garden: The garden, like the state itself, takes its name from the legendary black Amazon queen, Califia, who was believed to rule a terrestrial island paradise of gold and riches "on the right hand of the Indies." The legend was first popularized in the 16th century romance novel, Las Sergas de Esplandi�n, which received wide circulation in Spain. Geologist John McPhee recounts the tale in his book Assembling California (1994), which Saint Phalle read and drew upon as a source for her initial ideas. The imposing mosaic sculpture of Califia herself (11 feet tall), an archetype of feminine power and strength, commands the center of the garden. Clad in gold armour, she holds a small bird aloft while standing astride a monumental eagle (13 feet tall). Openings between the bird's massive legs lead visitors into a small domed "temple" decorated with cosmic symbols as well as painted ceramic plaques that were originally designed for the Tarot Garden. A gold, egg-shaped fountain occupies the middle of the space -- a reference to Califia's magical reign over the oceans as well to the cycle of birth, death, and transformation, a theme which recurs throughout Saint Phalle's considerable body of work. Entering the Magical Circle -- The Snake Wall and Maze: The garden's outside diameter measures 120 feet and is encircled by an undulating wall across which slither large, playful serpents decorated in colorfully patterned mosaics. The Snake Wall has one entrance into the garden -- a maze-like passageway whose walls and floor are also decorated in bold patterns of black, white, and mirrored tiles. This gateway "announces that you are crossing a threshold into a new magical world -- the world of your past, your roots, your land, your unconscious dreams," observed Marcelo Zitelli, the artist's curator and longtime assistant. A Celebration of California's Diverse Histories and Cultures: In planning the garden, Niki de Saint Phalle immersed herself in regional history and myth. They became "springboards to create imaginative creatures which celebrate the diversity of life," said the artist, "as well as those factors which have played a large role in southern California [including the Spanish, Mexican and Southwestern Indian cultures]." Eight large totemic sculptures (ranging in height from eleven to twenty-one feet) surround Queen Califia. They are adorned with stylized monsters, protective deities, geometric symbols, crests, skulls, humans, and various animals that once played vital roles in the lives of the people and are still endowed with sacredness and special powers. Of particular importance is the eagle, distinguished by his extraordinarily high flight which brings him nearer to the sun and in closer proximity to the gods than any other creature. Figuring in both pre-Conquest Mexican legend and Native American imagery, it can also be seen in three of Saint Phalle's best-known sculptures -- The Firebird (part of the Stravinsky Fountain in Paris), The Sun God (1983) at the Stuart Collection on the campus of the University of California, San Diego, and The Sun (Card No. 19) at the Tarot Garden. A Shimmering, Virtuoso Display of Mosaic Art: Queen Califia's Magical Circle bears the brilliant, unique mosaic ornamentation that is an unmistakable part of Saint Phalle's later work. "The garden uses a far greater diversity of mosaic materials gathered from around the world than seen in any of her other large-scale projects," said Lech Juretko, who has directed Saint Phalle's mosaic workshop since 1994. "Here, Niki personally selected dozens of varieties of glass in differing shapes, color, hue, translucency, and degrees of reflection. For the first time, she also used a wide assortment of polished and tumbled stones such as travertine, agates, quartzes, and veined turquoise." The results are magical and ever changing, as the movement of light, wind, color, and reflections continually transform the garden.
Description of Subject Matter: Niki de Saint Phalle's Queen Califia's Magical Circle

Located in the Iris Sankey Arboretum
Kit Carson Park
3333 Bear Valley Parkway
Escondido, CA 92025
www.queencalifia.org

Queen Califia's Magical Circle is the only American sculpture garden and the last major international project created by Niki de Saint Phalle (born France, 1930-2002). Inspired by California's mythic, historic and cultural roots, the garden consists of nine large-scale sculptures, a circular "snake wall" and maze entryway, sculpturally integrated bench seating, and native shrubs and trees planted within the interior plaza and along the outer perimeter. The garden bears the brilliant, unique mosaic ornamentation that is an unmistakable part of Saint Phalle's later work.

Queen Califia's Magical Circle is situated within a 12-acre natural habitat in the Iris Sankey Arboretum in Kit Carson Park on a parcel of land donated by the City of Escondido. The park's entrance is located five minutes from I-15 (Via Rancho Parkway Exit) at the corner of Bear Valley Parkway and Mary Lane.

The sculpture garden's key architectural features are an undulating circular wall measuring 400 feet in length (with varying heights from 4 to 9 feet) that surrounds the garden. Monumental playful serpents, decorated in colorfully patterned mosaics, slither along the top of the wall, their curved bodies forming a pattern of solids and voids that allows visitors to see landscape vistas beyond the garden. The "snake wall" opens into a maze whose walls and floors are covered with black, white, and mirrored tiles. Once through the maze, visitors enter into the central courtyard.

There are nine freestanding sculptures in the garden. The imposing mosaic sculpture of Queen Califia standing on the back of a five-legged eagle commands the center of the garden. Eight large totemic sculptures surround Queen Califia. They are covered with symbols and forms freely drawn from Native American, Pre-Columbian, and Mexican art as well as the artist's own fantastic imagery.

The above was from http://www.escondido.org/queen-califias-magical-circle.aspx

The following information was provided by the City of Escondido:

Queen Califia’s Magical Circle

Queen Califia’s Magical Circle is Niki de Saint Phalle’s last major work and her only American sculpture garden. It is one of only four large-scale sculptural environments designed and built by the artist and her studio. Niki de Saint Phalle was born in France in 1930, and raised in New York. She began painting in 1948 and moved to Europe four years later and first came to international prominence in 1961 as part of the influential “New Realists”, a group that also included Christo, Yves Klein and Jean Tinguely (her frequent collaborator whom she married in 1971). Niki moved to La Jolla, California in 1994 where she lived to her death in May 2002.

Queen Califia and the Naming of the Garden:
Niki’s initial inspirations for the garden came while she was reading the book, Assembling California by the geologist John McPhee. There he discusses the legend of Queen Califia, a beautiful and powerful black Amazon queen who ruled over the island of California, a paradise of gold and riches. The legend was first popularized in the 16th century romance novel, Las Sergas de Esplandian. Niki immersed herself in the regional history and myths of the people who formed Southern California, including the Southwest Indian, Mexican, African- American, and Spanish cultures. They became “springboards to create imaginative creatures which celebrate the diversity of life,” said the artist.

A Shimmering, Virtuoso Display of Mosaic Art:
The entire garden is made up of the mosaic sculptures typical of Niki’s later works. She personally selected the varieties of glass, mirrors and ceramics for their different shapes, reflective quality, color, texture and pattern. Her use of polished stones and minerals― turquoise, agates, quartzes, malachite, lapis and abalone shells ― begun with the animal sculptures of Noah’s Ark, reaches a new level of complexity and tactile experience for the viewer.The garden continues to push even farther her vocabulary of the visual, tactile and kinetic language that she began to create in the 1970s. She expanded her exploration of color and light reflection, fusing them in a more complex variety of mirrored shapes that capture the colors and forms of the individual works in ever-changing ways. The results are magical and constantly changing, as the movement of light, wind, color and reflections continually transform the garden.

Entering the Magical Circle:
The garden’s outside diameter is 120 feet and is encircled by an undulating wall with colorful snakes slithering along the top. Two large, grinning snakes on the Snake Wall the visitor to the only entrance into the garden, into a maze whose walls and floors are covered in bold patterns of black and white ceramic and mirrored tile. After finding your way through the maze, the visitor enters the center courtyard. A magical world, “the world of your past, your roots, your land, your unconscious dreams,” observes Marcelo Zitelli, the artist’s curator and longtime assistant.

Queen Califia, 11 feet tall, an archetype of feminine power and strength, commanding the center of the garden, rises on the back of a 13-foot-tall monumental five-legged eagle. eagle is a significant symbol in Native American, Mexican and American cultures. Niki used it in many of her important sculptures. Walking between the eagle’s massive legs brings the visitor into a small domed “temple” decorated with cosmic symbols and painted ceramic plaques originally created for the Tarot Garden. The “temple” metaphor is one frequently used by the artist who wanted to create spaces where all religions could be united A gold, egg-shaped fountain fills the center of the space, a reference to Califia’s magical reign over the oceans as well as to the concept of birth, death and transformation, a recurring theme in Niki’s work.

Eight large totems, ranging in height from eleven to twenty-one feet, surround Queen Califia and her eagle throne. They are decorated with imaginary creatures, protective deities, geometric symbols, crests, skulls, humans, and various animals that have all played important roles in the history of Southern California.

General Information, Directions and Hours:
Queen Califia’s Magical Circle is a gift from the artist to the Escondido community. Working in collaboration with Niki, the City of Escondido’s Public Art Commission, Art Mosaics, Inc., the Niki Charitable Art Foundation after Niki’s death, and the landscape design firm, Deneen Powell Atelier, the project took four years to complete, opening in October 2003. Located in the Iris Sankey Arboretum in Kit Carson Park, the garden is free, ADA accessible and open daily, concurrent with Kit Carson Park’s hours. For more detailed information, please check the website: . or call (760) 839-4691.
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