Maytag Matilda by Dixie Jewett
This statue is full of junk, really actual junk. In the town of Fountain Hills at the Plaza Fountainside stands a unique statue of a horse by artist Dixie Jewett named Maytag Matilda and she’s a wondrous old mare. Presumably named after the washing machine that makes up a large portion of her mid-section Matilda contains nearly every metal object one can think of, including the faucet of a kitchen sink. Upon close examination you’ll find a meat tenderizer, a coffee percolator, keys, a toaster, metal road signs, license plates, old tractor seats, car bumpers, forks, spoons, knives, chains, lots of wire, and plenty of horse shoes. And that’s far from mentioning everything.
Unlike Maytag repairmen, known to be the loneliest guys in town, Matilda draws quite a crowd. I visited Fountain Hills mid-week in the early afternoon expecting it to be a quiet time to take a few pictures. Boy was I surprised. In the short time I was there trying to take pictures four groups came by and took their own pictures with Matilda. I have to admit at first I was a bit unenthused, I wanted to get a few quick shots of just Matilda. Though as the time passed and I waited for the chance to take pictures between each group a funny thing happened, I got to see what made her truly special.
Being an artist myself my first thoughts about Matilda were of comparing her to classical art, high versus low culture, the idea of bricolage (the practice of working with whatever materials are at hand) and how the appropriation of these found objects affects the overall meaning. Those ideas were overshadowed by the time the last group left. Each person that approached Matilda lit up with a smile for a variety of reasons. I heard old friends reminisce about how their family had an old toaster like that and how a bumper looks like the one on a car they use to own. I could not help but think what memories these old items stirred up in them. For the kids she was a real horse; one whinnied at her while another clopped around replicating the sound of hooves on the ground.
Matilda is a fantastically crafted piece of art no matter what approach you take. The construction alone leaves you wondering how Dixie Jewett even got started. From a distance Matilda captures your attention as a larger then life majestic horse and lures you in to a dream-like state remembering times past and imagining horses running wild.
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