Swiss-born artist Ugo Rondinone embraces a range of forms and media. He has created brightly colored paintings to black and white landscapes. He created a series including bronze cast animals, such as birds, horses, and fish. Often working in the natural world, he creates artworks using large boulders locally sourced from their display location. Some of his works, such as Seven Magic Mountains, provide insight into the relationship between humans and nature.
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Situated ten miles south of the last major intersection of Las Vegas Blvd, otherwise known as “The Strip”, sits Seven Magic Mountains. Additionally, the land sculpture sits physically and symbolically between the natural and man-made. The natural being is represented by the mountains from which the limestone boulders were sourced, the Mojave desert, and the Jean Dry Lakebed. The man-made is Interstate 15 and the near-constant stream of vehicular traffic between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Also of note is the man-made desert oasis of Las Vegas. Consisting of 33 limestone boulders stacked in seven towers ranging in height from 30-35 feet, the “mountains” are painted a variety of fluorescent colors. A stark contrast to the reds, browns, and green of the natural world surrounding them.
In our world today, we are reminded that our ever-increasing footprint can be detrimental to the natural world. Is it possible for the two to coexist? Can we expand our cities without such a large impact on the world around us? Is it necessary to remove the natural landscape during construction? Can nature be incorporated into our building plans moving forward? These need to be addressed as we progress towards tomorrow.
Las Vegas is an ever-expanding city, consuming more resources every year. As each new, larger mega-resort opens on the Strip, is irreparable damage being done to the desert in which it sits? Is steel, concrete, glass, and asphalt creating a barrier to nature? Even Seven Magic Mountains was initially supposed to be a temporary art installation set in nature. It is now a permanent sculpture with no plan of being removed. Is this a bigger sign? Will nature once again have to yield to a man-made creation?
Progress and an increasing population mean a need for construction. We build both bigger and better structures all of the time. Man has and always will create. But moving forward, we need to better care for and incorporate our natural world. We need new techniques to protect the natural while creating the artificial.