Sun God

 statue, sculpture, artwork

Sun God (1983) is a14 foot tall sculpture of a winged bird-like creature by Niki de Saint Phalle. The sculpture is regarded as UCSD's unofficial mascot. It is part of the Stuart Collection.

Sun God was the first work commissioned by the Stuart Collection and was de Saint Phalle's first outdoor commission in America. The exuberantly colored, fourteen-foot bird is placed atop a fifteen-foot concrete arch and sited on a grassy area between the Faculty Club and Mandeville Auditorium.

Sun God has become a landmark on the UCSD campus. Students have at various times embellished the statue with giant sunglasses, a cap and gown, a UCSD ID card, and a nest of hay with eggs. Sun God has also been adorned with earphones and radio/tapeplayer, turning the statue into a "Sony Walkbird," and has sported a machete and headband for its disguise as "Rambird." It appears on T-shirts and mugs. UCSD art students have made a shroud which covered the bird for the international "Day without Art," in memory of those who have died of AIDS. An annual springtime Sun God Festival has emerged as the largest event sponsored by the UCSD Associated Students. The grassy area beneath it is a popular site for rendezvous and celebrations. There have been countless spontaneous responses which embrace the Sun God as a campus character.

stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artist/de-saint-phalle.html