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WSJ -- The mustang rears on splayed hind legs — his nostrils flaring, his eyes glowing red, his taut body a slick, sweaty sheen of blue. Anatomically correct — eye-poppingly so — the 32-foot-tall fiberglass sculpture makes quite a statement at the gateway to Denver International Airport.
But that begs the question: What kind of statement, exactly?
“It looks like it’s possessed,” says Denver resident Samantha Horoschak. “I have a huge fear of flying anyway, and to be greeted at the airport by a demon horse — it’s not a soothing experience.”
Many people here agree, calling the muscular steed a terrifying welcome to the Mile High City.The Denver airport commissioned the sculpture in 1992 from Luis Jimenez, a widely honored artist known for melding Chicano themes and Western history in exuberant sculpture.
Mr. Jimenez was killed working on the sculpture. In 2006, while he was hoisting pieces of the mustang for final assembly in his New Mexico studio, the horse’s massive torso swung out of control and crushed the 65-year-old artist. Mr. Jimenez’s widow and children helped finish the sculpture, and it was installed last February at the airport, at a cost to the city of $650,000.
Listen to the weekend edition of No Agenda for more about the weirdness that is Denver International. See more of DIA’s weird art here.
Thanks to Ian Warner.
So where are your FACTS?
# 21 John said, “So where are your FACTS?”
About what?
“Old Meth” makes it to Dvorak. Its downlight creepy at night when the eyes are lit up red.
When I look at the horse I see the wild and untamed west where horses still run free. This horse in particular has a fighting spirit that you don’t want to mess with. You can’t have a wild horse that can kick some ass with blue eyes. Also, the statue stands up in the air at an airport. Doesn’t everything have a red light on it to keep the airplanes from crashing into it?
I did grow up in a mountain state with wild horses so I am seeing that statue through my particular lens of perspective. Maybe there is something to all this DIA/Devner strangeness. Obama is supposed to be the chosen one. He held a massive speech, and signed the stimulus bill into law there. When global warming floods the east coast Denver becomes closer to the middle of the north American land mass. Maybe Denver is the future capital of the future American Socialist Empire.
#12- True.
Anyone who remembers the old Denver Broncos’ helmet emblems from the 70′s and 80′s can recognize the statue as a 3-D representation of that emblem.
I think this proves there are some very disturbed people.
Looks like something you’d see in front of a Cabela’s store. Put it in front of an airport, and suddenly the freaky flying people see evil.
hell we have devern beat by a mile (high?)…
that has nothing over this…
http://tinyurl.com/4xnxz8
i forgot how huch was paid for the ‘free’ stamp…
Wish I had one 1/10 scale for my backyard.
Cincinnati’s Big Butter Jesus is scarier http://www.panoramio.com/photo/11765919
http://www.neatorama.com/2008/03/20/big-butter-jesus/
crap. when is dvorak.org/blog going to fix their links?
http://panoramio.com/photo/11765919
http://neatorama.com/2008/03/20/big-butter-jesus/
[It's a WordPress issue, just leave off the www in the links or better use Tinyurl- ed]
Yikes! No, not Yikes! Jesus Christ!? No, not Jesus Christ! How about, “What the fuck are you fucking idiots THINKING?”
Ya know? Like, can you figure out where the SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS comes from?
How about, from the pockets of the working people of this city? Assholes!
Who needs this garbage? Who the fuck is running things in these cities? CHRIST ALMIGHTY! This country is SO fucked up. Ya know what? The US totally deserves the fucking over it is getting these days. ME? I saved my money, paid off my house, and drive a ratty old truck. But, by God, I don’t own anybody anything, except the fucking government every year, and day in and day out.
Fuck you all, assholes.
#32 faxon…it’s called culture, belongs to advanced societies.
#32 — Well, we tried your ideal, artless society for decades. It gave you the wonders of strip-malls and parking garages.
Why not stay in your empty, concrete, strip-mall wasteland and let the rest of us enjoy just one (1) sculpture that is freaking interesting for once?
Don’t worry. The rest of the lanscape is your “free-market” concrete Wall-Mart hell, so be happy.
Years ago there used to be a junkyard out there with a very impressive sculpture of a bronco composed of chrome bumper segments on the roof of the building. No idea whether it’s still there or not, but it was very well done.
I literally just passed it a few minutes ago (using DIA’s free wifi right now). I made it a point to take a closer look, and other than getting a great view of the horse’s junk, it’s not that shocking.
If they would have pointed it a different direction no one would be saying anything.
You should go to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City sometime. You are greeted by some GIANT 75 foot tall arrows stuck in the ground. You see that and you nervously are looking around for the 300 foot tall indian warrior who obviously stalks the place.
type in:
Denver International Airport Murals
into google image search for the quintessential
collection DIA Art *cough*
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Denver+International+Airport+Murals&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2
also…google maps of the area is sort of interesting…whole lotta empty space surrounds the airport that looks like it was “surfaced” in some manner in the past..
so…anyone ever find out what the missing $2.3tn-plus from the pentagon spent on??
-s
This statue is a warning to visitors that Denver is full of pricks bigger than life.
# 37 Rick Cain said,
“You should go to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City sometime. You are greeted by some GIANT 75 foot tall arrows stuck in the ground. You see that and you nervously are looking around for the 300 foot tall indian warrior who obviously stalks the place.”
That must be the Indian that sends the 45 – 55 kt. headwinds down the runway, so you can make a near half throttle landing, and take 10 minutes to taxi to the gate.