the evil horse welcomes you to denver

In about 12 hours, I’ll be boarding a plane bound for the east coast.  My little brother is done with boot camp, and has a fancy-schmancy graduation ceremony on Friday, plus a bit of on-base liberty (“family day”) on Thursday, so I’m headed down to Parris Island to be around for that.  Afterwards, I’ll be headed northwards to the real Carolina, to spend some quality time in Chatham County with the folks and the brother while he’s on leave.  Looking forward to it, for sure.

That, however, is not really why I’m posting.  Instead, I am posting to tell you about the awesome and horrifying sculpture that sits at the entrance to Denver International Airport.  Its name is Blucifer.

Hi, Blucifer! (photo credit: Westword)

Blucifer is not actually this horse’s name.  The blog article I snatched that picture from (funny and worth a read for more perspective on the evil horse sculpture, though I’ll warn you it’s headed with a close-up snapshot of the horse’s anatomically-correct ass) seems to refer to him as “el mesteno,” but I’m not really sure that’s his name either.  At any rate, this dude is freaky.  Oh, and he’s 32 feet tall, and his eyes glow red.  The first time I saw this beast, it was foggy, and all I could see was a looming shape with red eyes glowing out of the mist.  Yeah.  Welcome to Denver!

Lest you think this horse is scary enough already, let me tell you a story.  Actually, let the NY Times tell you a story.

Luis Jimenez, a sculptor whose color-splashed images of swirling dancers, roughneck cowboys in motion and the working class made him a controversial and easily recognized international figure in the art world, died Tuesday at his studio in rural Hondo, N.M. He was 65.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in Carrizozo, N.M., said he died in an industrial accident.

Mr. Jimenez was pronounced dead at the Lincoln County Medical Center in southern New Mexico, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said. He sustained injuries when one of three pieces from a 32-foot-high sculpture being moved from his studio came loose and pinned him against a steel support. The piece, commissioned by Denver International Airport, depicted a giant mustang horse and had been in development for nearly a decade, according to Jim Moore, former director of the Albuquerque Museum.

The evil horse killed its creator.  There’s really not much you can add to that.

In short, I adore this sculpture.  It freaks me the hell out, but I still adore it.  I get excited every time I go to the airport and get to see it.  Luckily, the partner noticed this, and last year for my birthday, I received a fabulous present:

This is my favorite t-shirt.

I try to wear it whenever I go to the airport, in honor of my beloved evil horse sculpture.  I might wear it tomorrow if I deem it warm enough outside.

That’s about all I have to say on the matter of Blucifer, but I do want to leave you with one last parting image.  Here’s a promotional photo used by Denver International Airport.

Blucifer, herald of the apocalypse.

Yeah, that’s right, my now-home airport is way more badass than yours.