Ranch & Coast Magazine

I can't say it was love at first sight, but I was definitely drawn to the handsome figure who never failed to make me smile. UCSD students immediately loved him, and the first Sun God Festival was held a year after the arrival of the statue and quickly grew into a wildly popular annual campus event. Hey, You Look Familiar Fast-forward a decade or so, and I found myself staring at a strangely familiar bird-like creature, except this one was standing in the Stravinsky Fountain next to the Centre Pompidou in Paris. I checked my guidebook and learned that all the colorful figures in front of me were the work of Niki de Saint Phalle. It was a joyful scene. Kids splashed around the edges of the pool and squealed with delight when they were soaked with streams of water shooting out of a colorful sculpture of a large reclining woman. Back home, I started to connect the dots during lunch at Barbarella in La Jolla Shores. When I commented on the creative mosaic tile around the restaurant's pizza oven, founder Barbara Beltaire explained that it was the work of her good friend Niki, who had moved to La Jolla for health reasons. At that time, Saint Phalle was working on a major installation in Escondido. Queen Califia's Magical Circle includes ten very imaginative figures dominated by a 24-foot tall legendary Black Amazon queen. It is her only American sculpture garden and the last major project she created. I've lost count of the number of times I've visited this site and still marvel at her creativity. Just When You ink You Know Someone Sun God, Paris, Queen Califia — I was already familiar with Saint Phalle's work, but I learned more at a recent panel discussion at the La Jolla Historical Society: A friend of the artist shared that when Saint Phalle lived on Princess Street in La Jolla, she turned her 51-foot living room into an art studio. Her daughter Laura Duke Condominas also mentioned that she loved to walk on La Jolla Shores Beach, but I was especially interested in the comments made by Erika Torri, Executive Director of the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. "She is beloved across Europe," Torri said, "especially in Germany. You can see her work in many places." As soon as I heard this, I knew I wanted to add Saint Phalle's projects to my travel plans. I love trips where I can Detour destinations << >> Niki de Saint Phalle, Buddha, 2000. Photo © Jonty Wilde. Courtesy of Yorkshire Sculpture Park @ranchandcoast ranchandcoast.com 86 JULY 2022 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE

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