''Queen Califia's Magical Circle'' is an outdoor
sculpture garden
A sculpture garden or sculpture park is an outdoor garden or park which includes the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings.
A sculpture garden may be private, owned by ...
in
Escondido, San Diego County, California. It is named in honor of the legendary
Queen Califia of California.
Opened posthumously in 2003, it is one of the last works of Franco-American artist
Niki de Saint Phalle
Niki de Saint Phalle (; born Catherine Marie-Agnès Fal de Saint Phalle; 29 October 193021 May 2002) was a French sculptor, painter, filmmaker, and author of colorful hand-illustrated books. Widely noted as one of the few female monumental sculp ...
.
Description
The garden is named after
Califia, the fictional warrior queen of the mythical
Island of California
The Island of California () refers to the long-held global misconception, dating from the 16th century, that the California region was not part of mainland North America but rather a large island separated from the continent by a strait no ...
, and was inspired by California's rich history and culture. It includes a circular enclosure,
maze
A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lead ...
entryway paved with mosaic tiles, ten large sculptures, and native trees and shrubs planted both inside the plaza and around the outer wall. Three long benches faced with
travertine
Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and rusty varieties. It is formed by a process ...
marble and river rocks, designed by Pierre Marie LeJeune, are provided for visitor comfort.
The 120-foot diameter enclosed garden is part of a habitat in
Kit Carson Park's Iris Sankey Arboretum, and was opened to the public on October 26, 2003. The sculpture garden is only open a few days each week, based on the availability of docents, and is closed during rainy weather and for 24–48 hours afterwards.
''Queen Califia’s Magical Circle'' is known as the only American sculpture garden created by Niki de Saint Phalle, and was her last major international project before her death in 2002.
The installation showcases the artist's signature designs such as voluptuous female figures, hybrid creatures, and mythical symbols that are covered in vibrant mosaic. The bright color choices help bring her work to life; Saint Phalle's color choices and art work served as a form of therapy that helped her to cope with the traumas she had experienced throughout her entire life.
Inspiration for this work came from the Califia legend as well as California's myths and history.
The artist was inspired by reading of this legend in ''Assembling California'', a book by
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
winner
John McPhee
John Angus McPhee (born March 8, 1931) is an American author. He is considered one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction. He is a four-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in the category General Nonfiction, and he won that award on the fourt ...
, which described the geologic history of the Golden State.
Escondido, California, was chosen as the location for the garden for its semi-rural setting in order to perfectly set the tone. The city of Escondido partnered with the artist to build and maintain the sculpture garden.
A wire fence surrounding the project was installed later, to protect the installation and reduce hazards to visitors.
''The Coast News'' has acclaimed ''Queen Califia’s Magical Circle'' as a San Diego region cultural landmark.
The artist lived in the San Diego neighborhood of
La Jolla
La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood in San Diego, California, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. The climate is mild, with an average daily temperature o ...
until her death in May 2002.
Materials and construction
The garden's wall is covered mostly in Mexican pebble stones, while the snakes and other sculptures are clad in many thousands of hand-cut glass,
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
, and stone
mosaic
A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...
tiles. Some wall segments are also decorated with ceramic plaques engraved with
Native American rock art
In archaeology, rock arts are human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type al ...
and other symbols, as well as handprints and signatures from Saint Phalle's family and art team. Queen Califia herself is embellished with hand-cut mirrored glass, while the fountain uses
gold leaf
upA gold nugget of 5 mm (0.2 in) in diameter (bottom) can be expanded through hammering into a gold foil of about 0.5 m2 (5.4 sq ft). The Japan.html" ;"title="Toi gold mine museum, Japan">Toi gold mine museum, Japan.
Gold leaf is gold that has ...
glass and is controlled by a solar-powered pump.
The wall, maze, and sculptures were constructed using
polystyrene foam
Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a ...
encased in a
polyurethane
Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) is a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane term ...
skin, with applied
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...
coating over a steel
armature.
The designs were based on Saint Phalle's original
maquette
A ''maquette'' is a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture or work of architecture. The term is a loanword from French. An equivalent term is ''bozzetto'', a diminutive of the Italian word for a sketch.
Sculpture
A maquette ...
s, with the aid of computer modeling and prototyping. The artist began work on ''Queen Califia'' in 2000. After her death, completion of the work was overseen by Niki's granddaughter Bloum Cardenas, and her longtime assistants. This was Saint Phalle's last major project.
Sculptural features
A rippling "snake wall", ranging between in height, forms the perimeter of the garden. Colorful mosaic serpent sculptures are positioned along the top of the wall. The single entrance opens onto a
maze
A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lead ...
whose short walls and floor are covered in black, white, and mirrored mosaic tiles. After navigating the maze, visitors can enter the
courtyard
A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky.
Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...
where the ten primary sculptures are located. The ten freestanding sculptures—Califia, the fountain, and the eight totems—are influenced by an eclectic combination of
Native American,
pre-Columbian
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...
, and
Mexican art
Various types of visual arts developed in the geographical area now known as Mexico. The development of these arts roughly follows the history of Mexico, divided into the prehispanic Mesoamerican era, the New Spain, colonial period, with the per ...
.
''Queen Califia'', ''Egg Fountain'' and ''Eagle Throne''
In the center of the garden is an mosaic sculpture of Queen Califia in gold glass armor, standing atop a eagle and raising a small bird above her head. Visitors can walk among the eagle's five legs and into a domed temple adorned with celestial symbols and plaques from another sculpture garden by Saint Phalle, the ''
Tarot Garden''.
In the middle of the plaza is a golden egg-shaped fountain, which represents both Califia's magical reign over the sea and the birth-death-transformation cycle that serves as a recurring theme in Saint Phalle's works.
Totem figures
Eight
totem
A totem (from or ''doodem'') is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage (anthropology), lineage, or tribe, such as in the Anishinaabe clan system.
While the word ...
sculptures measuring between tall surround ''Califia''. They are covered with stylized symbols, creatures, and animals that played important roles in the mythologies of various indigenous peoples. The
eagle
Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
is an especially prominent part of the work, as it figures significantly in Native American and indigenous Mexican legends. It also recurs frequently in Saint Phalle's other works, and was her personal symbol.
See also
*
List of sculpture parks
*
Sensory garden
*
''Sun God'' (statue)
*''
Nana on a Dolphin''
*''
Les Trois Grâces''
References
External links
*
*
''Queen Califia's Magical Circle''at Niki Charitable Art Foundation
{{Niki de Saint Phalle
Escondido, California
Parks in San Diego County, California
Sculpture gardens, trails and parks in California
Sculptures of birds in the United States
Sculptures of snakes
Sculptures of eagles
Sculptures of women in California
Animal sculptures in California
Sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle