Rainbow Spotting: Seven Magic Mountains, Las Vegas
Sitting high on my list of ‘rainbows to see’ since its creation in 2016, I’d retired Ugo Rondinone’s vibrant large-scale artwork Seven Magic Mountains to one that I’d have to miss as it only had a 2 year exhibition originally planned for the work. Thanks to Instagram’s love of colour, and the popularity across the board with the public, the pieces have had a renewed extension, meaning they’ll be on display until the end of 2021. I planned a few extra days in California to allow time to drive out and visit Seven Magic Mountains, and I’m so glad I did. Getting the chance to see such enormous (and fun) public art is such a treat.
The artwork is made of seven towers of painted stacked boulders that stand more than 10 metres high. It’s a ‘creative expression of human presence in the desert’ and it really is the most amazing juxtaposition of man-made with nature, and then with the added element of seeing people interacting with the work as well. Out in the desert (but really just a few minutes walk from the parking area) the totems look different as the light of the day changes. I visited in the late afternoon, and as the sun sunk lower in the sky the mountains had an almost ‘glow’ to them that seemed to go beyond just the paint of the boulders. If you’re able to visit, it’s a really cool experience to see in person. Be prepared for lots of people and lots of pictures, but very worthwhile for a visit if you’re en-route to Las Vegas!
