"Bluecifer" — the story of a creepy sculpture that killed its creator

The history of art knows a lot of strange and even scary works. Some of them look creepy, others are associated with terrible cases. There are also those that can boast of both an infernal appearance and a chilling history. Among these creations, the sculpture known as "Bluecifer" or "Satan's Horse" occupies an honorable place.

The figure of a huge blue horse rearing up is located near the Denver airport, in Texas, USA. The sculpture with a height of 9.8 meters and a weight of 4.1 tons is located on the dividing strip of the Pena Boulevard highway. The real name of this statue is "Blue Mustang". But the name given to his brainchild by the author, sculptor Luis Jimenez, did not catch on.

"Blue Mustang" is called "Bluecifer", "Satan's Horse", "Blue Devil", "Blue stallion of death". Anyone who sees this sculpture for the first time does not have any questions about where its nicknames came from. The object is impressive, fascinating and frightening. A blue horse as tall as a multi-storey house has an anatomically correct addition. But at the same time, the stallion is bright blue, he has a strange rearing mane and ... eyes burning with red light.

Many tourists are delighted with the unusual sights on the Penya highway. But the residents of Denver do not like the "Blue Mustang" and believe that it brings misfortune to the city. The fact is that the sculpture not only has a demonic appearance, but also the same character. She killed her creator when the work on her creation was nearing the end.

The Denver authorities commissioned the statue of the "Blue Mustang" to the famous sculptor and artist Luis Jimenez in 1993. Its opening was to be timed to coincide with the start of the new Denver Airport, which received its first flight in 1995. But from the very beginning, this work was haunted by all sorts of failures and accidents. Therefore, Bluecifer took its place on the highway only in 2008.

The figure is cast from polychrome fiberglass, inside which a steel frame is placed. Jimenez got this order for a reason. It was believed that no one in the United States could so accurately convey the spirit of the free West. The sculptor himself suggested sculpting a group of bison rushing across the prairie. But this option was rejected as too cynical. After all, the herbivorous giants that once inhabited Texas were exterminated by man.

But everyone liked the idea of a wild mustang rearing up. The horse was supposed to represent freedom, dynamic forward movement and remind of the vast expanses of Texas. Jimenez in the spring of 1993 vigorously took up the case and, together with a group of assistants, began to create. But a year later it became clear that the sculpture would not be ready for the opening of the new Denver air Gate.

In total, the delivery of the "Blue Mustang" was postponed four times. The problems were either financing or technical problems. Once Luis Jimenez even wanted to abandon the project and terminate the contract with the state authorities. He was persuaded to complete the work and, unfortunately, he agreed. In 2006, an emergency occurred in Jimenez's workshop. During the movement of the sculpture, her head fell off. An element weighing several hundred kilograms fell on the sculptor.

Jimenez, 66, had a shattered hip and an artery was damaged. By the time the ambulance arrived, the sculptor was already in a state of clinical death. He died from extensive blood loss before he was taken to the clinic. After the tragedy, the Blue Mustang was once again abandoned. Only many months later, the sculptor's son and his students volunteered to finish the work.

In 2008, the sculpture was inaugurated. Almost immediately, residents of Denver and the surrounding area began collecting signatures for its dismantling. The matter was not limited to petitions, and outraged citizens began to organize pickets at the foot of the Bluecifer. Officials had to promise that in 2013 the statue would be dismantled and passions subsided. And then they got used to the "Blue Mustang" as an inevitable evil. He still does not cause delight, but they no longer insist on dismantling the figure.