| Artist: | Niki de Saint Phalle |
| Year: | 2003 |
| Medium: | Sculpture garden, primarily in fiberglass and mosaic |
| Height Imperial: | 24 |
| Diameter Imperial: | 120 |
| Metric Unit: | m |
| Imperial Unit: | ft |
| City: | Escondido, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates: | 33.08°N -117.0628°W |
| Museum: | Kit Carson Park |
Queen Califia's Magical Circle is an outdoor sculpture garden located in Kit Carson Park in Escondido, California, 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.[1]
The garden is named after Califia, the fictional warrior queen of the mythical Island of California, and was inspired by California's rich history and culture. It includes a circular enclosure, maze 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 marble and river rocks, designed by Pierre Marie LeJeune, are provided for visitor comfort.[1]
The 120-foot diameter enclosed garden is part of a 12acres habitat in Kit Carson Park's Iris Sankey Arboretum, and was opened to the public on October 26, 2003.[2] 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, and the last major international project created by Niki de Saint Phalle before her death in 2002.[3] The installation showcases the artist's signature designs such as voluptuous female figures, hybrid creatures, and mythical symbols that are covered in vibrant mosaic.[4] 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.[5]
Inspiration for this work came from the Califia legend as well as California's myths and history.[6] The artist was inspired by reading of this legend in Assembling California, a book by Pulitzer Prize winner John McPhee, which described the geologic history of the Golden State.[7]
Escondido, California was chosen as the location for the garden for its semi-rural setting in order to perfectly set the tone.[8] The city of Escondido has partnered with the artist to build and maintain the sculpture garden.[7] A wire fence is not a part of the project, but was installed to keep visitors away from broken mosaic pieces so that they might enjoy all aspects of the garden safely.[6] The Coast News has acclaimed Queen Califia’s Magical Circle as one of the San Diego region's cultural landmarks.[9] The artist lived in nearby San Diego community of La Jolla, CA until her death in May 2002.
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, and stone mosaic tiles. Some wall segments are also decorated with ceramic plaques engraved with Native American rock art and other symbols, as well as handprints and signatures from Saint Phalle's family and art team.[10] 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 foam encased in a polyurethane skin, with applied fiberglass coating over a steel armature.[1] The designs were based on Saint Phalle's original maquettes, 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.[11]
A rippling 400feet "snake" wall, ranging between 4and 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 whose short walls and floor are covered in black, white, and mirrored mosaic tiles. After navigating the maze, visitors can enter the courtyard where the ten primary sculptures are located.[12] The ten freestanding sculptures—Califia, the fountain, and the eight totems—are influenced by an eclectic combination of Native American, pre-Columbian, and Mexican art.[7]
In the center of the garden is an 11feet mosaic sculpture of Queen Califia in gold glass armor, standing atop a 13feet 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.[3] [7] 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.[13] [7]
Eight totem sculptures measuring between 11and 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, and was her personal symbol.[3] [7]