El poder brutal, Rock sculpture near Tandapi, Ecuador
El poder brutal is a stone carving along Highway 20 depicting an oversized face with horns, a pointed nose, and fangs. The sculpture juts roughly 20 meters from the mountainside and can be seen clearly from the roadside.
A worker employed by the Ministry of Public Works carved this sculpture between 1985 and 1987. The project took shape during his evening hours while he performed demolition work during the day.
The sculpture represents both rational and unconscious aspects of humanity through a combination of human features like eyes and animal elements like fangs.
The sculpture sits along the main highway between Quito and Guayaquil and can be viewed from passing vehicles or a quick roadside stop. A brief pause allows you to examine the carving up close.
The creator worked during daylight hours operating his tractor for demolition, then spent evenings sculpting the rock face until completion.
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