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Ra PauletteSelf-taught American cave sculptor
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Ra Paulette: The Self-Taught Cave Sculptor of New Mexico
- Creating Subterranean Masterpieces
- Hidden Treasures and Emotional Landscapes
- An Artist's Gift
- A Temple's Demise
- Accessing One of Paulette's Masterpieces
- A Visitor's Testimony
Ra Paulette: The Self-Taught Cave Sculptor of New Mexico
The Underground ArtistFor over 25 years, a gifted sculptor from New Mexico has been creating "natural cave worlds" in the state's beautiful and pristine wilderness. Ra Paulette's unique works are featured in the Oscar-nominated 2014 documentary, "Cavedigger." Using only hand tools, Paulette painstakingly chisels, digs, and carves intricate underground designs into the caves, then chooses to walk away and let his "sanctuaries" live on their own.
Creating Subterranean Masterpieces
Paulette has created his elaborate art spaces in 14 different caves in the desert north of Santa Fe. His approach is both intuitive and technical, as he sometimes follows existing fissures or tunnels but often creates his own in the soft sandstone. He views these subterranean creations as having a spiritual power and calls them "sanctuaries." "These caves are designed to be transformative spaces," Paulette says in "Cavedigger" by director Jeffrey Karoff. "They're underground, so you feel like the earth is embracing you, but then you've also got sunlight coming in. It's bringing together these two metaphors of our life—the outer and the inner. And it's a perceptual trick that opens up these emotions that are very deep and very revealing."
Hidden Treasures and Emotional Landscapes
Each cave is unique. Some have small passages or "light scoops" designed to capture the sun's rays. Others feature benches carved directly into the soft, beige sandstone walls as well as deep niches for flickering candles. The cave walls are adorned with swirling carvings and whimsical bas-reliefs. Some display colorful patterns that seem to "read" clearly, while others, like "abstract suns," leave the viewer to guess at the sculptor's emotions when crafting the design. Paulette uses only hand tools to create these intricate subterranean palaces, making it seem as if nature itself has chiseled away at the cave walls.
An Artist's Gift
Paulette considers his creations more of a hobby and a service to the community than a money-making venture. He leaves the caves when he feels his vision is complete and hopes that his underground realms will bring joy and perhaps enlightenment to chance visitors. It is the act of creating, not the finished product, that brings him the most pleasure. However, experiencing Paulette's surreal cave creations is no easy feat. The artist chooses not to give exact coordinates to his "sanctuaries," and most of the caves are on private land where visitors are discouraged. One such property, which is for sale for over $1 million for 74 acres, features a cave complex called "The Tree of Human Kind."
A Temple's Demise
Paulette spent almost two years working on an ambitious cave complex that was meant to be a "universal temple" and an art venue. During the project, a "jeep-sized" rock fell from the ceiling, a near-miss that made the sculptor realize the dangers of continuing the project. As a result, the complex was abandoned.
Accessing One of Paulette's Masterpieces
Visitors can experience one of Paulette's creations legally: OriginNewMexico.com offers access to "Windows to Earth," an early work completed in 1996. The subterranean gallery features a stunning window measuring 30 feet tall, as well as a 20-minute "sound bath" using Tibetan Singing Bowls. The tour costs $87 for adults and $40 for children (ages 12 and under) and includes a gourmet snack and a 2.5-hour guided hike.
A Visitor's Testimony
One grateful visitor to "Windows to Earth" left the following message: "This living work of art in the Earth by master creator Ra Paulette is nothing short of an energetic transformative sanctuary. It allowed me a deep peace and clarity absent from my everyday existence."
