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The Denver International Airport, built in 1995, is known for its controversial 32-foot-tall blue horse statue with glowing red eyes, named Blue Mustang, but more commonly referred to as Blucifer. The sculpture was designed by Luis Jiménez, who was killed in 2006 when a section of the statue fell on him. The horse's red eyes are a tribute to Jiménez's father, who owned a neon-sign shop where he worked as a child. The horse has been the subject of various conspiracy theories and has been called demonic. The Denver Airport itself is also known for its conspiracy theories, including rumours of secret underground tunnels and catacombs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Mustang |
| Nickname | Blucifer |
| Height | 32 feet |
| Weight | 9,000 pounds |
| Material | Fiberglass |
| Eye Colour | Red |
| Eye Type | LED flood lights |
| Inspiration | Mythical blue mustang from Southern Colorado's San Luis Valley |
| Artist | Luis Jiménez |
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What You'll Learn
The Denver International Airport's horse statue is known as 'Blucifer'
The Denver International Airport's horse statue is known as Blucifer, a name coined by locals, combining the words "blue" from its official name, "Blue Mustang", and "Lucifer", the archangel who fell from heaven and now rules the underworld. The name is considered fitting for the horse statue, which is demon-like in its appearance, with its blue body and luminous red eyes.
The 32-foot-tall fiberglass sculpture, created by Luis Jiménez, is located near the south of the airport's main concourse and was unveiled in 2008. The horse's red eyes are a tribute to Jiménez's father, who owned a neon-sign shop where he worked as a youth. The blue colour of the horse may have been inspired by Jiménez's own horse, Blackjack, a blue roan Appaloosa stallion.
The statue is notable for its striking appearance and for having killed its sculptor when a section of it fell on him in his studio. Jiménez's sons and staff completed the work after his death. The sculpture is considered a point of pride for the airport, with Stacey Stegman, DIA's senior vice president of communications, marketing, and customer service, referring to it as a "fierce blue mustang" and a "protector of travellers".
The horse statue has been the subject of controversy and debate, with some finding it confusing, shocking, or fear-inducing. It has also been criticised for its display of a deadly sculpture and the revealing nature of the horse's genitalia. Despite this, the statue has become a well-known feature of the airport, with many travellers spotting it as they drive towards or away from the airport.
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The sculpture was created by Luis Jiménez
The sculpture was commissioned by the City of Denver in the mid-1990s for $300,000 when the current Denver International Airport was being established. The original proposal had been for a sculpture of a buffalo stampede, but this was deemed inappropriate as buffalo had been hunted to near extinction in the West. Jiménez proposed the mustang as an alternative, a symbol of the West and an early method of long-distance travel. The statue was finally unveiled in 2008, 15 years after it was first commissioned, due to various delays, including legal issues, airport security scares, and the death of the artist.
Tragically, Jiménez was killed in 2006 when an enormous section of the sculpture fell on him, severing an artery in his leg. Jiménez's sons and other collaborators completed the work, and it was erected outside the airport in 2008. The sculpture weighs approximately 9,000 pounds and is made of cast fiberglass. It is notable for its striking appearance, with its bright blue colour and glowing red eyes, the latter being a tribute to Jiménez's father, who ran the neon-sign shop where he worked as a youth.
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Jiménez was killed by the sculpture when a section of it fell on him
The Blue Mustang, or "Blucifer" as it is colloquially known, is a 32-foot-tall fiberglass sculpture of a mustang with glowing red eyes located at Denver International Airport. The sculpture is notable for its striking appearance and for having killed its sculptor, Luis Jiménez, when a section of it fell on him at his studio in 2006. Jiménez suffered a crushed leg and a severed artery.
Jiménez was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1940 and apprenticed at his father's neon-sign shop as a child. Here, he learned to weld and paint. The red eyes of the mustang are a tribute to his father, who ran the shop. Jiménez was inspired by a legend from Southern Colorado's San Luis Valley of a mythical blue mustang with red eyes that was exceptionally good at finding food and grass and could run so fast that it could practically fly. The choice of blue may also have been inspired by Jiménez's own horse, Blackjack, a blue roan Appaloosa stallion.
The sculpture was commissioned in 1992 for $300,000 but was not erected at the airport until 2008. The original proposal had been for a sculpture of a buffalo stampede, but this was deemed inappropriate due to the near extinction of buffalo in the West. Jiménez proposed the mustang as a symbol of the West and an early method of long-distance travel. The statue was completed with the help of the artist's staff, family, and professional painters Camillo Nuñez and Richard LaVato. It was then sent to California for assembly before being shipped to Denver.
The Blue Mustang has been a source of controversy since its installation, with some people finding it frightening or ugly, while others have expressed concerns that it is cursed due to its role in Jiménez's death. There have been calls for its removal, but it remains a part of Denver's public art collection. The statue has also been vandalized on several occasions and has been shot at by a man who later shot himself. Despite the mixed reactions, the Blue Mustang has become a well-known landmark at Denver International Airport, attracting attention from around the world.
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The horse's eyes glow red as a tribute to Jiménez's father
The 32-foot-tall Blue Mustang statue, known colloquially as Blucifer, is a cast-fiberglass sculpture of a mustang located at Denver International Airport. It was created by New Mexico artist Luis Jiménez and was unveiled in 2008. The sculpture is notable for its striking appearance, including its bright blue colour and glowing red eyes.
The eyes of the statue are illuminated by LED floodlights and have been a source of fascination and controversy. Some have pointed to the red eyes as evidence of the horse's demonic nature, with nicknames like "Blucifer", "Satan's Stallion", and "Denver's Demon". However, the red eyes were included by Jiménez as a tribute to his father, who owned a neon sign shop in El Paso, Texas, where Jiménez worked as a youth and learned to weld and paint.
Jiménez was inspired by legends from Southern Colorado's San Luis Valley about a mythical blue mustang with red eyes that was a powerful leader among mustangs and was capable of flight. The choice of a mustang for the sculpture was also symbolic of the West and an early method of long-distance travel. The blue colour may have been inspired by Jiménez's own horse, Blackjack, a blue roan Appaloosa stallion.
The sculpture gained notoriety for being involved in Jiménez's tragic death in 2006 when a section of it fell on him, severing an artery in his leg. Jiménez's sons and other collaborators completed the work, and it was finally installed outside the airport in 2008. Despite its initial controversy and mixed reactions, Blucifer has become a point of pride for the airport and an accepted part of Denver's public art collection.
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The horse is the subject of several conspiracy theories
The 32-foot-tall "Blue Mustang" sculpture, or Blucifer as it is colloquially known, has been the subject of several conspiracy theories. The sculpture's red eyes and blue body have been interpreted as demonic, and it has been nicknamed "Satan's Stallion" and "Denver's Demon Horse". The horse's gaze has been described as "ceaseless" and "all-seeing", giving it the appearance of a "gatekeeper" for those entering or leaving the city.
The sculpture's eyes are illuminated by LED floodlights, and the red colour is a tribute to the sculptor's father, who ran a neon sign shop where he worked as a youth. However, the eyes are often pointed to as evidence of the horse's demonic nature. The horse's prominent veins, scrotum, anus, and overall phallic quality have also been noted and criticised.
The sculpture's location at Denver International Airport, which is rumoured to be home to Freemasons or a UFO hangar, has likely contributed to the conspiratorial air surrounding the statue. The airport has gained a reputation among flyers as a "singular nightmare vision", with its ghoulish murals and rumours of secret subterranean catacombs. The airport was also built at a high cost, leading to questions about why public officials would commit to such an expensive project.
The horse sculpture itself has a tragic history, as it fell on and killed its sculptor, Luis Jiménez, before it was unveiled in 2008. Jiménez's widow said he often told stories about working with his father, and his hands would be "marred by the work". The sculpture was completed posthumously with the help of Jiménez's staff, family, and professional painters.
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Frequently asked questions
The Denver Airport horse is officially called "Mustang" or "Blue Mustang", but is often referred to as "Blucifer" by locals.
The blue colour was inspired by a legend from Southern Colorado's San Luis Valley about a mythical blue mustang with red eyes that could fly. The blue colour may also have been inspired by the artist's own blue roan Appaloosa stallion, Blackjack.
The red eyes are a tribute to the artist's father, who owned a neon sign shop where the artist worked as a child.
The Denver Airport horse has been called "demonic" and rumoured to be cursed, partly because it killed its sculptor, Luis Jiménez, when a section of it fell on him in his studio. The horse's red eyes and overall eerie appearance have also contributed to its reputation as haunted.
