Introduction to the Blue Mustang: A Menacing First Impression
Anyone who has ever flown to Denver, Colorado, has seen the infamous Blue Mustang statue, which stands imposingly to greet visitors to this otherwise gray and unassuming place. The public artwork is 32 feet tall and was created by Luis Jimenez (Lerer, 2019). Having the public moniker of “Bluecifer,” the statue is famous for its menacing and imposing presence as well as for its grim reputation of having killed its creator – Jimenez died when a portion of a statue collapsed on him in the studio.
Artistic Details and Strategic Placement of the Sculpture
The artwork features a Mustang stallion made of cast fiberglass, recreated to fine detail, with special attention to the texture of the tail and mane, where each hair has been carefully stroked and sculpted out. The statue’s color is bright blue, with red Light-Emitting Diode (LED) eyes implanted, which glow when it is dark, giving it an even more menacing presence (Lerer, 2019). The statue is placed on an empty round podium, with the space chosen to attract the onlookers. The fact that it is placed right at the entrance to the airport also ensures that no one can escape its terrifying presence.
Dynamic Design and the Impact of Lighting
The balance and posture of the statue are dynamic – the Mustang is illustrated standing on its two legs, about to hit someone with its front hooves. This immediately makes the artwork vertically taller and lifelike, giving it a recognizable and unmistakable silhouette ([Blue Stallion], 2016). The choice of lighting at night makes the Mustang especially scary, with the red eyes being accompanied by lights flashing at it from all sides, making it appear like a museum exhibit is coming to life.
Personal Reflection: From Absurdity to Iconic Appeal
My feeling about public artwork is that it is so bad it suddenly becomes good. From a compositional, emotional, and message perspective, there is no point in a giant horse with red eyes near an airport. Blue is unnatural for a Mustang and does not fit the scenery. The red eyes and the stature are trying to scare the audience away. And yet, inexplicably, it somehow succeeds in its mission of wooing the audience. If the artwork’s objective was to make for a memorable experience, it certainly achieves that – nobody forgets having their first encounter with “Bluecifer.”
Reference
[Blue Stallion] (2016). Web.
Lerer, M. (2019). Luis Jiménez’s Mustang: Monumental Misreadings. Latin American and Latino Visual Culture, 1(4), 12-32.