Big Blue Horse? Many in Denver Say Neigh

DENVER — Airports can be tense and testy places in the best of times. At Denver International Airport, you can add glow-in-the-dark eyes to the list of triggers for a traveler’s angst.

A statue of a giant male horse — electric-eyed, cobalt blue and anatomically correct — was installed in February 2008 on the roadway approach to the terminal, and it is freaking more than a few people out.

Haters of this work say that “Blue Mustang,” as it is formally known, by the artist Luis Jiménez (killed in 2006 when a section of the 9,000-pound fiberglass statue fell on him during construction), is frightening, or cursed by its role in Mr. Jiménez’s death, or both. Supporters say the 32-foot-tall horse is a triumph, if only as a declaration of Denver’s courage to go beyond easy-listening-style airport art that many cities use like visual Dramamine to soothe travelers’ nerves.

Love it or loathe it, though, “Blue Mustang” is doing what art is supposed to do — get attention. There’s even a poetry slam planned in Denver to read horse haikus, of which about 250 have been composed, believe it or not.

“It’s definitely achieved its purpose of being memorable,” said Rachel Hultin, a real-estate broker in Denver who started a page on Facebook last month to vent her horse anxieties, byebyebluemustang.com, and found herself at the center of the debate.


UMmmm... a Big Blue Horse...it may not be what you want to see while landing after a long flight.. but GET OVER IT. People should appreciate art more. The great thing about all the controversy is that Jiménez's work is getting more attention.

Ohhh.. yeah.. and the website byebyebluemustang.com made me think of *NSYNC
Hey, Hey
Bye, Bye, Bye
Bye, Bye...
Bye, Bye...
Oh, Oh..
...haha.....



see full story in the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/arts/design/02hors.html?_r=1&ref=design