A nine-foot red chile pepper sculptor with a big smile is happily greeting visitors at the Miller Library on the Western New Mexico University campus.
‘Ramel’ is the name of the steel and bronze sculpture that is made out of material from ten car hoods found across New Mexico. On loan from Linda Joanou, a metal artist residing in Silver City, Ramel is described by Joanou as quintessentially New Mexican.
“I was inspired by living in New Mexico,” said Joanou. “It’s bright, colorful and spicy.”
Joanou regularly uses recycled materials in artwork. The steel and bronze were cast on the university campus. The vehicle parts were collected from junkyards throughout the state. Ramel is for sale and accessible to the public during regular Miller Library hours. For more information on the artist, visit www.joanou.com.