In the early 80’s I took a “break” from college. Much to my mother’s displeasure and my delight, I moved to Chicago. There, I rented a bleak basement studio and worked at Marshall Field’s during the day. In the evening and off hours, I pursued my creative interests (What they were exactly, I’m still not sure?) and did the requisite partying that a 20 year old does. It was all quite independent, fearless and stupid. I lacked any specific direction, I only knew that I was getting to know myself and explore possibilities. I guess I was trying to grow up.

While working at the department store, I laid eyes on a bottle of exquisite perfume. There were two colorful intertwined snakes on the cap. The bottle was cobalt blue. The smell was exotic and mysterious with notes of amber, musk, jasmine and vetyver. The scent was called Niki de Staint Phalle. It was named after the French artist who created it. Of course, I had to have it. It was expensive and more than I should have spent, but with my employee discount, I managed the purchase. I felt very sophisticated in this perfume. It seemed to have a history that I clearly did not have yet and was sexy in a way that I could hardly understand. I thought that the snakes were some sort of biblical reference. I thought I was bold and daring in this perfume, but I could hardly live up to the artists talents and inspiration. It was only years later that I began to learn about de Saint Phalle and her exploration into feminism.

Niki de Staint Phalle

De Saint Phalle is a woman who grappled with her own life choices and societies roles for her. Much of her work deals with the beauty and conflicts of being a woman, a mother and an independent life force. Her works include, painting, sculpture, film and literature. Imagine my delight just a few months ago, while driving through uptown Charlotte, I see a gigantic sculpture by de Saint Phalle in front of the new Bechtler Museum. There it stands in all of it’s sparkly and bold glory, “The Firebird” (l’Oiseau de Feu Sur l’Arch). I love how patrons need to touch it’s mirrored surface and pose coquettishly next to it to have their pictures taken. Everybody loves this sculpture. Men, women and children. It has an earthiness with its wide firm legs, open wings and a blazing sun heart. The sculpture was completed in 1991 towards the end of her life, as she died in 2002. It seems that De Saint Phalle found a spiritual inner peace with who she was and confidence to share it with us.

"The Firebird" (l'Oiseau de Feu Sur l'Arch)

If you’d like to visit the statue and museum go to: bechtler.org

Art Around Town,” by Lisa Jewel, appears Fridays on DavidsonNews.net’s Guide page. Lisa is keeping a sort of “visual journal” of interesting objects she finds in the area. Some are items for sale at local galleries, others prized possessions in our homes. Have an object to share? Email Lisa, lskjewel@aol.com. See her previous columns in the Art Around Town category