The talk of Turlock is the new $50,000 piece of public art that's being installed downtown. It's a 14-foot tall statue of Califia -- the mythical black Amazon queen from which our state derives its name.
Turlock (and the university located here) has a history of poor choices when it comes to public art. And many, for various reasons, are questioning the wisdom of inviting Califia into such a prominent spot in our community.
Although she looks more Mexican (not a bad thing in and of itself) than Amazonian, I like her. Sure she has big hands but that's because she is a bigger-than-life Amazon warrior. The beautiful detail depicts the riches of our part of California. And this version by Donna Billick is pretty warm compared to some other interpretations. Welcome Califia!
3 comments:
Interesting that the City of Turlock is choosing to publically display a statue of a Mythological being. The wiki definition of mythological points to a religious aspect. Will anyone take this to the Supreme Court to have it removed as Turlock will probably have to remove any display of the 10 Commandments in the Court House because they show a Christian perspective?
Califia was a fictional character in a 16th century novel by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo, Las Sergas de Esplandian. The story was so inspiring and powerful that it took on mythological qualities for the Spanish explorers. In the story Queen Califia converts to Christianity and turns over the wealth of her kingdom to the conquistadors. No wonder they named California after her! If you're really worried that the government is trying to erase all traces of Christian heritage the place to really watch is city names. Half of the names in California have religious significance -- including the capital.
I thought it was a monument to protest sex trafficking. What an overpriced public eyesore. I expected something this bad in Modesto.
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