Corazon de Oro (Batadillo)
This sculpture was commissioned by the City of Austin's Art in Public Places program for inclusion in Ricky Guerrero Pocket Park. The work includes thousands of my handmade tiles (plus hundreds of community made tiles as part of my social practice). The sculpture features a bat on one side and an armadillo with butterfly wings on the opposite side.
Site-Specific & Architectural Art Segment (Site-Specific Mosaic)
72 x 108 x 60
1000
Materials List
Handmade glazed ceramic tiles; glass gems; gold foil-backed sheet glass; colored cement mixture
Installation Location
Ricky Guerrero Pocket Park (Austin, TX, USA)
Collaborating Artist/Fabrication Team
Internal armature was created by Deep in the Heart Fabrication of Bastrop, TX (now called "Pyrology")
Artist Statement
My intention for my mosaic sculptures is to inspire joy and creativity. I make my own ceramic tiles because it enables me to make tesserae of any form, size, texture and color. I gravitate towards the grounding nature of working with clay and the organic shapes that exude life. I enjoy civic engagement and I am passionate about creative placemaking and the role of the arts in community development. Therefore, I plan tile making events for community members of all ages to create tiles that are included in the final work.
“Corazon de Oro” was created as a loving tribute to Ricky Guererro, who died tragically at 17 from a football injury. Ricky’s father had been working to persuade the city to purchase land for a park in this historically underserved Hispanic neighborhood. After Ricky's death, the city purchased the land and dedicated the park in his honor. During a park renovation, the city commissioned a sculpture to strengthen the identity of the park and enlighten the viewer about Ricky and the neighborhood.
The armadillo side represents the past and references a storied music venue called the Armadillo that was in the neighborhood. The football is present to honor Ricky. The monarch wings are a tribute to the butterfly garden where the sculpture resides. The bat represents Austin's future, so it faces the playground. It is a tribute to the millions of Mexican Free Tailed bats that reside nearby under the Congress Bridge.
Ricky’s family and the neighborhood attended the tile making events, which brought all strata of the community together to help create a work of art that will be shared with future generations. The sculpture is now a beloved feature of the park, overlooking the playground where it is often visited by the children who helped make it.
