No,
your eyes are not deceiving you! This amazing splash of color is really standing there in the middle of the desert!
This exhibition is
called the “Seven Magic Mountains” and sits just south of Las Vegas near
Jean Nevada. The 33
boulders weigh an average of 40,000 pounds each and were cut with chisels,
grinders and jackhammers, and brought to us by the creative mind of Ugo
Rondinone. The artist was born in Switzerland, is of Italian descent and
currently lives in New York.
The
process involved cutting and shaping each boulder so they would be stackable. Underneath
the ground is a foundation of concrete and reinforced steel, which prevents
them from sinking under their own weight.
The art
work has been described as a “mental trinity” covering the natural world,
romanticism and existentialism. The display will be here in this location until
2018. I’m not sure where it goes from here, but one totem will live on in Las
Vegas and will be owned by and installed at the MGM Resorts International Park on
the strip.
We visited the display one rainy, foggy morning. From the gravel parking lot just off the highway there is a
dirt path that takes you the 500 yards to the boulders. Posted along the winding path are signs, warning you to stay on the path because
of venomous snakes.
If you're driving from Southern California it’s
worth it to pull off and have a look. If you’re a local, it is only a 20 minute drive down the
15 freeway off Las Vegas Blvd.
Pretty spectacular!
