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The Demon Mustang of Denver International Airport

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Scandalous "evil" fiberglass sculpture at DIA by Luis Jimenez

The sculpture, Mustang, was created by New Mexico's Luis Jimenez. It would come to rest outside DIA 12 years late, $350,000 over budget, and guilty of murdering its creator.

Whether you like the sculpture or not, it is notable. I first saw it in daylight and was taken aback by the garish blue color. It looks a giant plastic toy. Then I drove past it one night and was stunned. Nicknames like "Bluecifer" and "Satan's Stallion" make sense when you see those burning red eyes glaring at you through the darkness.

The public debate over Mustang places people in three general camps: those who think it's scary, ugly, and outrageous; those who appreciate the emotional and visual impact; and those who like it because so many other people hate it.

I'm not sure to which camp I belong in the public debate. I think the thing is both ugly and scary. I really don't like the artistic elite telling me why I should love the possessed, angry sculpture. But damn, the thing is fun to look at and fun to hear about. (Just make sure small children don't get a good look at it at night.)

Timeline

1992: Denver International Airport commissions sculpture from Luis Jimenez. The cost is $300,000 and expected delivery is 1996.
Mesteño
1997: A smaller, more subtle version of the horse, named Mesteño, is displayed at University of Oklahoma's art museum. After an uproar, the sculpture is finally accepted when moved to a more out-of-the way location.
2001: The city of Denver had originally planned to place the sculpture on the main road to the airport but changed the location to inside.
2003: Because of delays, Denver sues Jimenez for its $165,000 deposit and completed parts of the horse. Jimenez fires back with a suit because the city wants the sculpture inside the terminal to save costs. Originally, the sculpture was to be set in a park-like surrounding. Both lawsuits would be dismissed.
2004, July: The city comes to terms with Jimenez. The sculpture would be placed outside, Jimenez would meet an October, 2005, deadline, and would receive the remaining $135,000.
2005: Jimenez would miss his next three deadlines.
2006, June 13: The artist, Luis Jimenez, is killed while hoisting a piece of the mustang. The torso swung out of control and fell on him, severing a leg artery.
Jimenez's sons, Adan and Orion, along with professional lowrider painters, Richard LaVato and Camillo Nuñez, finish the work.
2007, October 13: The city takes control of the statue and ships it to California where Sacramento-based Kreysler and Associates completes repairs, upgrading wiring for the eyes, and strengthening the internal steel structure. The detour, repairs, and dedication of the work adds $350,000 to the price tag.
2008, February 11: The Blue Mustang sculpture is installed at Denver International Airport.
2009: An outcry against the sculpture is ignored by the City of Denver. The city's policy is that all art exhibits have a five-year "set" period. This means the earliest the Mustang can move is 2013.

Organized criticism against the sculpture picks up momentum. The facebook group, DIA's Heinous Blue Mustang Has Got To Go, gains attention in the national media.

Conspiracy theorists quickly add Mustang to the mounting evidence that Denver International Airport is the center of dubious goings-on.
2010, May: Cracks begin to appear in the sculpture's leg. It is quickly caulked and painted.

Facts and Features

Height: 32 feet
Weight: 9,000 pounds
Materials: Painted fiberglass over steel frame
Base: Concrete slab and steel bolts
Eyes: Red LEDs
Original Cost: $300,000
Final Cost: $650,000

DIA Mustang Overhead

Latitude: 39.834141 Longitude: -104.676272

What's the deal with the glowing red eyes?

Besides looking awesome and evil at night, Mustang's eerie red eyes have a special symbolism. According to DIA's official site, Jimenez added the penetrating glare as "a nod to the artist's youth in his father's neon sign shop..."

That's good to know. I would have made the eyes glow because I like glowy things.

Photos

curated content from Flickr

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traian Jan 27, 2012 @ 10:53 am | delete

I love horses and the sculpture itself is really OK. But I would paint it in a natural color. That kind of blue doesn't fit it. I'd also change the color of the eyes - they should be that warm brown horses have. Seems like somebody wanted to make it a controversial work of art. Also wanted to make it scary - blue as in the Apocalypse and with red like fire eyes! Should this tell us something?

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BlueTrane Jan 7, 2012 @ 9:51 pm | delete

As a piece of art, it's nice. I just never got it's relationship to anything. Just seems out of place there.

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baby-strollers Dec 27, 2011 @ 6:52 pm | delete

That thing is pretty freaky, not my cup of tea per se, but I can still appreciate the artisitic side of it.

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waldenthree.net Dec 15, 2011 @ 8:25 pm | delete

I see you love games. Just sent you an idea for possibly developing a new game for kids that I hope may interest you. Thanks

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swinglow Dec 8, 2011 @ 10:48 pm | delete

just another indicator of an ignorant and sick society, where the evolved are abhorred and the stupid love and cant get enough of there mtv, csi, bones, walking dead, survivor, american idiot, etc...its a flaming poorly proported jackass and the product of a 2nd rate imagination at best. Its a stupid party with hidden exits.

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Dennissss Dec 6, 2011 @ 4:47 pm | delete

It reminds me of Denver Broncos

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Sarah Sep 26, 2011 @ 3:02 pm | delete

I'm kinda just wondering why in the photo slide there is a close up of the horses butthole..... "/

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PaxLamprey Sep 27, 2011 @ 4:11 pm | delete

To highlight the exquisite detail of the work.

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sukkran Apr 8, 2011 @ 12:12 am | delete

lovely art work ~blessed~

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C N Truth Apr 4, 2011 @ 2:42 pm | delete

Seems to be a symbol of something; Death In Apocalypse - DIA or The forth seal of the apocalypse and the pale Blue Horse and it's rider was named death. Hell was following close behind: DIA Subsurface = Death, Weapons, Plague, Famin. Or just a demented Denver Boncos mascott.

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petra ofosu Dec 25, 2010 @ 5:45 am | delete

it is the most beautiful and expressive depiction of a horse, I have ever seen. it contains and expresses something really horselike .everybody who has had a horse and has seen and felt their way of communication ,understands, that the artist must have known horses and caught the essence if it , some of the most adorable beings on earth- an incredible piece of art- how ART should be!!!!!
if the name picasso was under it- everybody would accept it.

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wtf???? Dec 24, 2010 @ 4:54 pm | delete

Trigger high on crack.

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EastCoastBias Dec 5, 2010 @ 10:41 pm | delete

- Badass sculpture
- It sort of scares me

I kind of like it, but .... I wouldn't want that thing to welcome visitors to my city.

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Tom L Aug 16, 2010 @ 6:48 pm | delete

Great Work of Art

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Hoobajoob Jul 16, 2010 @ 3:32 pm | delete

My wife and stepdaughter saw this aberration for the first time on their way to catch an early morning flight from DIA. They laughed their heads off at this piece of, um, "art." With its glowing red eyes and its posture, all you'd have to do is replace the forelegs with human arms and you'd have a Filipino demon called a "tikbalang," and as the wife and stepmonster are Filipinas, that explains the laughter. I'm not sure what the "artist" was trying to convey with this, but a better color scheme and a lack of glowing eyes would help make it substantially less repulsive.
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