Blue Mustang

Blue Mustang, known to locals by the nickname Blucifer,[1][2] is a cast-fiberglass sculpture of a mustang located at Denver International Airport. Colored bright blue, with illuminated glowing red eyes, it is notable both for its striking appearance and for having killed its creator Luis Jiménez when a section of it fell on him at his studio.[1]

Blue Mustang
Blucifer
Blue Mustang
ArtistLuis Jiménez
Completion date11 February 2008 (2008-02-11)
MediumCast-fiberglass
SubjectMustang
Dimensions9.8 m (32 ft)
LocationDenver International Airport, Denver, Colorado, United States
Coordinates39.83414°N 104.67638°W / 39.83414; -104.67638
OwnerDenver International Airport

Overview

Blue Mustang was one of the earliest public art commissions for Denver International Airport in 1993. The sculpture was based on the eight-foot-high sculpture Mesteño (Mustang), on display at the University of Oklahoma.[3] Standing at 32 feet (9.8 m) tall and weighing 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) including its steel armature,[4] Blue Mustang is located in the median of Peña Boulevard.[5] Jiménez was killed in 2006 at age 65 while creating the sculpture when its head fell on him and severed an artery in his leg.[1] At the time of his death, Jiménez had completed painting the head of the mustang. The sculpture was completed with the help of the artist's staff, family, and professional race-car painters Camillo Nuñez and Richard LaVato. Upon completion the sculpture was sent to California for assembly and then shipped to Denver. Blue Mustang was unveiled at Denver International Airport on February 11, 2008.[4]

The sculpture has been both widely disparaged[6][7] and defended.[8] In September 2019, the piece was vandalized with orange graffiti on its hooves.[9][10][11]

References
  1. "Blucifer, the Murderous Mustang of Denver Airport". Slate. 2014-03-17. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  2. Rinaldi, Ray Mark (December 24, 2015). "American art essay: People in Colorado love to argue about art". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  3. "Luis Jiménez, Mesteño, 1997". Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma. Archived from the original on 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  4. "Mustang/Mesteño by Luis Jiménez". City of Denver. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  5. "Mustang". Denver International Airport. City & County of Denver Department of Aviation. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
  6. "Despite criticism, airport's 'Devil Horse' sculpture likely to stay". NBC News. 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  7. Johnson, Kirk (2009-03-01). "Many Just Say Neigh to 'Blue Mustang' at Denver Airport". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  8. "Keep remarkable "Mustang" sculpture at DIA". The Denver Post. 2013-02-06. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  9. "Denver airport officials looking into who put graffiti on 'Blucifer'". FOX31 Denver. 2019-09-06. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  10. Wolf, Stephanie. "Someone Has Tempted The Fates And Vandalized 'Blucifer' At The Airport". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  11. "Vandals mar DIA's "Blucifer" sculpture with orange graffiti". The Denver Post. 2019-09-06. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
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