Gilgal Sculpture Garden

This weekend a friend sent me a picture of himself standing by a statue that was very clearly the Prophet Joseph Smith's head pictured on a sphinx.  My response was, "Where ARE you?" 

The answer is Gilgal Gardens.  Formerly known as "The Secret Garden of Salt Lake" this collection of sculptures was created by an LDS Bishop in the backyard of his home.  Now a city park, the garden is a few short blocks from my office, but I had never heard of it before this week.

So my friend Steve and I decided to take a field trip on our lunch break.  Following broccoli beef and rice at my favorite gas station/Chinese restaurant, my fortune read, "Travels from nesting space will take you to a broader cultural horizon."  And boy did it ever!

The Garden entrance.  Behind me is a sculpture of a soldier with a sword and a featureless head.  It's hard to tell if the head was just unfinished or if the lack of a face is symbolic.

This statue led me to do some research on why someone might carve Joseph Smith as a sphinx.  (Sadly, my knowledge of literary references is not as sharp as it might have been in college.  Back in the day, I know I could have written a killer 12-15 page essay on Joseph Smith and freemasonry and the mysteries of the kingdom as seen in the image of a sphinx.  Sigh.  Those were the good old days!) 

This picture is a pretty good representation of my present day confusion as I pondered the statue.  But it was a wonderful lunch-time outing!  The Gilgal Garden website identifies the park as the only "visionary art environment" in Utah.  I can agree with that.