Art 122Y Gallery 1

1. This is the entrance leading into the garden. Its
inviting charm already gives the viewer a
glimpse of what is inside. Its ornate details
continue throughout the garden. A plethora of
bottles line the top of the beam that states one
of his inspirations, folk art, and the year he
began this installation, 1987. The viewer gets an
insight into the mind of Isaiah Zagar.

2. The bold painted tile on this staircase leaves
the viewer examining every step. Even
though the tiles differ in size and color, the
spacing of them give them a sense of unity
that can appeal to the viewer. These stairs
leading downward into the garden invite the
viewers’ eyes to linger at Zagar’s style of
work.

3. Zagar has the viewer feeling as if they drifted
off into a surrealist wonderland. This corner
of the garden is covered in disproportioned
tile figures. The human forms covering the
wall make the viewer feel as if they are in
Zagar’s study. Intriguing quotes cross the
wall, having the viewer explore every tile to
read it.

4. Certain tiles were hand painted by Zagar
himself. A lot of them consist of human
figures. The proportions of them are wonky,
but they make the figure more visually
interesting and add emphasis to certain
features. The eyes speak to the viewer and
reappear throughout the garden. Cool and
warm toned tiles pop off of the wall and a
folk sculpture creates more visual diversity.

5. As the viewer proceeds through the garden,
there are many stairwells and grottos that
the viewers can pass through and enjoy. This
allows their visit to not only be visual, but
interactive. All of these stairways and grottos
are heavily mosaicked, just like the rest of
the garden. No step or turn goes without an
interesting view.

6. Besides all of the glass and tile that covers
the walls of Zagar’s maze, there are a myriad
of sculptures built into his installation. The
one that stood out the most was this
menorah. There is something about the color
and shape that really draws in the viewer.
Also, the direction of the menorah really
catches the viewers eye. All of the sculptures
in the garden are askew which only embraces
the feeling that the viewer is in one of
Zagar’s dreams.

7. Exiting the garden, there are severely
decorated walkways. These walkways really
draw the viewers eyes to the end of the
garden and allow them to take in everything
they see along the way. The viewer will see
more of Zagar’s disproportioned figures,
along with intriguing quotes that will leave
the viewer thinking. Even though all of these
mediums differ, together they create a sense
of unity that is Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.