Luis Jiménez's Mustang

Abstract

Luis Jiménez's Mustang (2008), located at Denver International Airport, was intended to be a welcoming figure as Colorado residents and visitors entered and exited the gateway to the US West. However, this particular work, along with several of Jiménez's earlier public sculptures, prompted public rancor, controversy, and protest. Jiménez is one of the most well-known Chicano public sculptors; however, little scholarly research has been conducted to examine the way in which his work functions in and is received by visitors in the public realm. Applying Harriet F. Senie's methodology of conducting visitor response interviews to examine Jiménez's public sculptures aids in an understanding of why the gap between the artist's intention and the visitor's understanding is so pervasive. Mustang subverts traditional monuments and notions of equestrian statuary in its use of nontraditional materials and subject matter. Many visitors sense the intentionally critical and historical revisionist lens through which Jiménez created his work and therefore feel daunted by it culturally, aesthetically, and spatially. This complex reaction highlights what aspects of US culture are embraced in the public sphere and which elements have received conflicted reactions due to their subject, and the representation of ethnicity in public space. In addition, the site of Jiménez's work forms a crucial part of the content; therefore, the negotiation of space, in which Mustang and some of Jiménez's other sculptures are displayed, informs the debates around installing a work in the public sphere.RESUMEN Luis Jimenéz's Mustang (2008) located at Denver International Airport was intended to be a welcoming figure as Colorado residents and visitors entered and exited the gateway to the American West. However, this particular work along with several of Jiménez's earlier public sculptures, prompted public rancor, controversy, and protest. Jiménez is one of the most well-known Chicano public sculptors; however, little scholarly research has been conducted to examine the way in which his work functions in and is received by visitors in the public realm. Applying Harriet F. Senie's methodology of conducting visitor response interviews to examine Jiménez's public sculptures aids in an understanding on why the gap between the artist's intention and the visitor's understanding is so pervasive. Mustang subverts traditional monuments and notions of equestrian statuary in its use of non-traditional materials and subject matter. Many visitors sense the intentionally critical and historical revisionist lens through which Jiménez created his work and therefore feel daunted by it culturally, aesthetically, and spatially. This complex reaction highlights what aspects of U.S. culture is embraced in the public sphere and which elements have received conflicted reactions due to their subject, and the representation of ethnicity in public space. In addition, the site of Jiménez's work forms a crucial part of the content; therefore, the negotiation of space, in which Mustang and some of Jiménez's other sculptures are displayed informs the debates around installing a work in the public sphere.RESUMO Mustang (2008) de Luis Jimenéz, localizado no Denver International Airport, foi concebido como uma figura acolhedora para os residentes do Colorado e visitantes que passavam pela porta de entrada para o oeste americano. Entretanto, essa obra em particular, juntamente com várias das primeiras esculturas públicas de Jiménez, provocou rancor público, controvérsia e protestos. Jiménez é um dos escultores públicos chicanos mais conhecidos; no entanto, pouca pesquisa acadêmica foi conduzida para examinar a maneira pela qual seu trabalho funciona e é recebido pelos visitantes na esfera pública. A aplicação da metodologia de Harriet F. Senie de conduzir entrevistas com visitantes para examinar as esculturas públicas de Jiménez ajuda a entender por que a lacuna entre a intenção do artista e a compreensão do visitante é tão generalizada. Mustang subverte monumentos tradicionais e noções de estatuária equestre em seu uso de materiais e temáticas não-tradicionais. Muitos visitantes percebem a lente intencionalmente revisionista crítica e historicamente através da qual Jimenéz criou seu trabalho e, assim, se sentem intimidados culturalmente, esteticamente e espacialmente. Essa complexa reação destaca quais aspectos da cultura norte-americana são adotados na esfera pública e quais elementos receberam reações conflitantes devido a sua temática, e a representação da etnia no espaço público. Ademais, o local onde se situa a obra de Jimenéz é parte crucial de seu conteúdo; portanto, a negociação do espaço, no qual Mustang e algumas das esculturas de Jimenéz são exibidas, informa o debate em torno da instalação de uma obra na esfera pública.