The sculptures of Ricardo Breceda
Photographed by Jeff Perkin
In the timeless scenery of the Southern California desert, ferocious dinosaurs and larger-than-life creatures are brought to life through the animated work of Ricardo Breceda. Where else can one find a 350-foot-long sea serpent which appears to swim through the surface of the desert floor and under a road? The impeccably-detailed, rusted-metal monster is just one of 130 sculptures in Galleta Meadows of Borrego Springs, CA. Other imaginative sculptures include a scorpion facing off against a grasshopper, incredibly life-like rams rearing up to head butt each other, and a mother camel nestled against her child. Formed out of sheet metal that has been cut, shaped and welded into place, these majestic creations come to life in the sparse desert landscape.
Ricardo Breceda has been called an “accidental artist” whose talent for metal working was initially put to the test when his daughter asked if he could make her a life-size dinosaur. After successfully building a Tyrannosaurus Rex for her birthday, Breceda found his calling. Originally from Durango, Mexico, Breceda’s artistic story is an inspiring tale of dreams becoming reality. Destiny paired Breceda with a passionate and wealthy patron, Dennis Avery (heir to his family’s Avery labels fortune), who hired the artist to fill his desert property of Galleta Meadows with prehistoric sculptures.
On top of the large collection of sculptures found in the Borrego Springs area, Breceda has hundreds more for sale at his public, open-air gallery in Aguanga, CA. The gallery is an epic attraction in its own right where row upon row of sculptures attract several hundred visitors every week. Ricardo keeps the gallery experience gratuitous for visitors out of the belief that his art should be freely accessible for everyone to enjoy.
Breceda’s dedication to each of his creations is evident in their masterful design and execution. Whether it is a mouthful of fearsome dinosaur teeth, or a full-scale jeep climbing up desert boulders (with a sculpted driver), Breceda fashions many of his works to be frozen in expressive movement. Sculptural details range from thousands of round scales on the sea serpent to innumerable thinly cut strands of metal curled meticulously on a llama’s fur. The patchwork panels of sheet metal build out the artist’s forms with surprisingly realistic anatomy in addition to girth. With the help of a team of artisans, and depending on their scale, his works can take from a few weeks up to several months to fabricate.
Adults and children light up when they witness the whimsical creations in Breceda’s prolific body of work spanning two decades. “The best pay for an artist is when people like what you do…when people feel what you do,” proudly remarked Ricardo. He is an artist who certainly exudes passion and a childlike joy for his creations. Amidst the sands of time, his imaginative prehistoric and mythical creations join exaggerated forms of this world for this extraordinary artistic experience.
Jeff Perkin is a graphic artist and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach available at WholySelf.com
