They stand, silent and spooky:
Goggle-eyed sculptures of California pioneers and unhappy Native
Americans, in a rarely-visited corner of a college campus. Who made
them? And what are they doing here?
Old Trapper's Lodge is one of
California's remarkable twentieth century folk art environments. It
represents the life work of John Ehn (1897-1981), a self-taught
artist who wished to pass on a sense of the old west, derived from
personal experiences, myths, and tall tales. From 1951 to 1981,
using his family as models, and incorporating memorabilia, the "Old
Trapper" followed his dreams and visions to create the lodge and
its "Boot Hill."
Originally displayed outside his motel
in Sun Valley they were moved to Pierce College in the late 1980’s
to make room for an expansion project to the Burbank
Airport.
The brightly-colored figures are
arranged in a park-like setting behind the school's agricultural
building. A Mormon does battle with an Indian, while another
carries away a scantily clad woman in a scene called “Kidnap”.
Bizarre faces poke up from the ground and adorn a rock wall. A
Miner and Gold Rush gals relax on rough wooden
benches.
John Ehn would be pleased that his
statues have been kept so well, though he'd be frustrated that not
many come to admire them. Most Pierce staffers don't even know that
they exist. Pierce College is a commuter school, so its students
are even more oblivious — the statues are ignored, perhaps the
young people instinctively sense the Dark Force that surrounds
these scary totems, and give them a wide berth.
The cache you seek is handing out
waiting to be found.
Remember, posting pictures allows others
to share in your adventure....
