Wings of the City – Alas de la Ciudad by Jorge Marín is an exhibit of eight monumental bronze sculptures that recently arrived at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. I encourage art lovers of all ages to visit these classically beautiful and uplifting works at the Botanical Garden before they depart in February 2016.
Marín combines the athletic human male form with playful touches like domino masks with bird-like beaks. The figures hold acrobatic poses on spheres or rectangular prisms.
“Archivaldo,” above, is the favorite of my son, F.T., who is eight years old. He especially likes the sphere that the man is resting on. My daughter, G.N., who is five years old, prefers “Alas de México,” pictured at the top, consisting of a pair of monumental bronze wings. It’s a great photo opportunity.
A recurring element are pairs of majestic wings that have lovingly crafted naturalistic details and an angelic sweep. “Bernardo Oriental Monumental” is pictured below.
Pictured below is “Equilibrista 90 Monumental,” a beaked but wingless figure poised above a sphere.
The garden setting enhances the beauty of the sculptures, such as “Abrazo Monumental,” featuring a winged man and a woman embracing, located in the Lucile Halsell Conservatory. The drapery is classically beautiful.
At the front desk, pick up a checklist so you can identify all the sculptures. Near each sculpture, find a map to help you locate the next one. G.N. helped me keep track of our progress.
To extend the educational benefit of this exhibit, consider bringing pencils and sketchpads so that you and your kids can make drawings inspired by Wings of the City. Stand back and capture the silhouette, or get in close for details of the feathers or the hands and feet.
Another Marín sculpture will be installed at the Southwest School of Art next month. Many thanks to the Consulado General de México en San Antonio for helping to bring this exhibit to San Antonio.
Read more: “Bronze sculptures take flight at botanical garden”, Steve Bennett, San Antonio Express-News, September 11, 2015.
