Catbird Totem - Escondido, CA - Mosaics on Waymarking.com

This totem, made with multi-colored ceramics and mirrored glass, depicts a column with several figures. On the bottom is an enigmatic figure...perhaps a woman straddling the column? Above her a green catlike face, above that, a monkey-like face with red lips, and above that a bird-like creature with a cat-like face. Two black and white snakes jut out from either side of the totem.
There are about a dozen separate sculptures by the late Niki de Saint Phalle in this sculpture garden. Almost all of the artist's works are made with mosaic tiles and glass...as are all of the works here.


Wikipedia's article about the sculpture garden (visit link) adds:


"The garden is named after Califia, the fictional warrior queen of the mythical Island of California, and inspired by California's rich history and culture. It includes a circular wall and maze entryway, ten large sculptures, and native trees and shrubs planted both inside the plaza and around the outer wall.

The garden is part of a 12-acre habitat in Kit Carson Park's Iris Sankey Arboretum, and was opened to the public on October 26, 2003...

Queen Califia herself is embellished with hand-cut mirrored glass, while the fountain uses gold leaf glass and is controlled by a solar-powered pump.

The wall, maze and sculptures were constructed using polystyrene encased in a polyurethane skin, with applied fiberglass coating over a steel armature. The designs were based on Saint Phalle's original maquettes, with the aid of computer modeling and prototyping...

In the center of the garden is an 11-foot mosaic sculpture of Queen Califia in gold glass armor, standing atop a 13-foot eagle and raising a bird above her head. Visitors can walk between the eagle's 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 sculptures measuring between 11 and 21 feet 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 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."

Address: Queen Califia's Magical Circle Kit Carson Park, Escondido, CA USA Related web site: [Web Link] Specific visit requirements: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/29/2010 Metro2 visited it