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The Artwork of Ricardo Breceda
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If you could somehow turn back
the clock and take a visit to the Borrego Valley of the ancient past, you
might see creatures such as the Columbian Mammoth, The giant bird Aiolornis,
Camels, the elephant-like Gomphothere, and the Sabertooth Cat.
The
fossils of all these animals have been found nearby in some of the most
extensive and well-preserved paleontology sites in all of North
America. So they really did live here. And now, through the artwork of
Ricardo Breceda, the shadows of these prehistoric creatures once again cast
a shadow on the desert sand.
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Breceda's work is not restricted
to just those animals that roamed here in ancient times; his sculptures
celebrate the history and culture of the area, the desert environment, and
pure fantasy.
The story of how Breceda's
artwork came to be located here is as fascinating as the artwork itself.
Originally from Durango, Mexico, and not an artist, there were many twists
and turns in Ricardo's life. One day he made a
dinosaur statue for his daughter. That's when he became an artist. But
there is much more to the story. As
happenstance would have it, Ricardo eventually encountered Dennis Avery,
land owner of Galleta Meadows Estates in Borrego Springs. Dennis had
the vision of using his land as an enormous outdoor gallery, home to
Breceda's Artwork.
It would be wrong to say that the
rest is history. History is still unfolding. There are now roughly 130
Breceda sculptures in the Borrego Valley. Roughly is a word that must be used
when counting these sculptures because each time Ricardo has announced his
last one, another has appeared on the desert sands. History has shown that
the sculptures of Ricardo Breceda are a work in progress. You can pick up a
detailed map to the scuptures at the ABDNHA desert store, just one block west
of Christmas Circle. The full story of how Borrego Springs became home to an
extensive collection of outdoor art is told in the book "Ricardo Breceda:
Accidental Artist."
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