MAYA II Jarvis Rockwell		Print This Page Email This Page

Maya II, commissioned by the Scottsdale Public Art Program, was a jaw-dropping 14 foot tall pyramid, 20 foot at the base, consisting of 31 tiers covered with some 11,000 action figures, super heroes, villains and more. Jarvis Rockwell’s (son of famed illustrator Norman Rockwell) Maya II was on view in the atrium of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts from November 1, 2006 until April 1, 2007.

In 1979, Rockwell began collecting action figures and toys as he trained as an artist. His collection of toys and figures soon numbered in the thousands. In 1996, he traveled to India where he found temples, adorned with sculptural rows of gods and deities. The visit inspired Rockwell to display his massive toy collection in the form of a pyramid. Rockwell uses the toys to represent the abundance of desires found in contemporary culture. His installation is a commentary on mass consumption, pop icons, and the material world we live in. Maya II suggests in Western culture material objects are worshiped like gods.

Rockwell first toy installation Maya was commissioned by MASS MoCA in 2001. It was one of the museum’s most popular exhibits of all time. Scottsdale’s Maya II was a completely new, dynamic, and even larger installation.

Rockwell also created a series of toy dioramas—creative installations with the toys that tell stories or just poke fun: Ewoks on cell phones at an office party; Olive Oyl escaping Popeye and Pluto and taking control of the world; a Cabbage Patch Kid preaching to a roomful of decapitated doll heads.

Rockwell uses his endless collection to create astounding stories and entertaining vignettes. Maya II and the dioramas explore varied themes growing out of mythology, pop-culture, global consumerism, and stereotypes. For Rockwell, each toy possesses a personal story of iconic and mythological significance.

Rockwell also completed a commisioned drawing in the Scottsdale Civic Center Library. It is located by the youth area.

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