For the past ten years i've wanted to do an exhibition about the 20th Century artist Niki de Saint Phalle and the large scale public sculpture she created while living in California. Research has been a wonderful excuse to linger in her sculpture park, Queen Califia's Magical Circle in Escondido's Kit Carson Park. Delving more deeply into her California artwork and inspirations, I ask myself what does California look like through her eyes?
Niki de Saint Phalle created an iconic series of tactile architectural works including her final masterwork Queen Califia's Magical Circle (2003), integrating her mythical California visions into a park for the public to enjoy in perpetuity. The 15 year anniversary of the sculpture park will be celebrated through a series of exhibitions and tours in Escondido in 2018. I am curating Niki de Saint Phalle, Mythical California from January 13 - March 4, 2018 at the California Center for the Arts Museum, Escondido. (artcenter.org) and am working with a group of dedicated Niki Charitable Art Foundation staff, docents, historians, musicians, and an endless list of wonderful people dedicated to keeping Niki's spirit alive in perpetuity. The NCAF website blog has wonderful stories about the artist.
Niki de Saint Phalle's artwork, such as Altar A.O.S.,can also be found at the Escondido Municipal Gallery through April of 2018. In general, people are not familiar with Saint Phalle's earlier works such as ALTAR O.A.S. a bronze sculpture.
More information about how to get to the park in Escondido and hours: queencalifia.org
About Queen Califia's Magical Circle...
Regional tales and myths will be used as springboards to create imaginative creatures which celebrate the diversity of life, as well as those factors which have played a large role in the history of southern California (including the Spanish, Mexican, and Southwestern Indian cultures). Their religion was one that honored the natural world - the sun, the moon rain and the regional animals...sculptures based on these subjects (the thunderbird, the corn mother, the winged serpent) will be featured in the garden.
- Niki de Saint Phalle
Saint Phalle was intrigued by the mythical story of Califia, the legendary Amazon queen, who was the ruler of an island paradise of gold and riches. While reading John McPhee's book Assembling California (1994), Saint Phalle discovered a 16th century Spanish legend that became her inspiration.
...on the right hand of the Indies there is an island called California very close to the side of the Terrestrial Paradise; and it is peopled by black women, without any man among them, for they live in the manner of the Amazons.
- Las Sergas de Esplandián (The Adventures of Esplandián) by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo
Queen Califia's Magical Circle, like the state of California, takes its name from the legend.
Calafia(sic) herself was very large, black and revered to be the most beautiful of women. She was of an Amazonian nature, adorned with arms of gold, as were the harnesses of the wild griffins she tamed and rode. The centerpiece of the sculpture garden would be a temple in her honor. (Visitors could leave offerings there to appease her, perhaps urging Calafia to cease the trembling of our paradise!).
- Niki de Saint Phalle
Photo from the interior of Queen Califia's Magical Circle with docent Marty and artist Matthew Hebert
