2014-07-22

New Mexico artist Ra Paulette Carves Caves

The American state of New Mexico has unique man-made caves. Sculptor Ra Paulette digs caves in New Mexico’s sandstone cliffs. They are not plain, rocky, boring ones. Ra’s caves are smooth, artistic, and breathtakingly beautiful, and he creates them with his bare hands. His only tools are a pickaxe and a wheelbarrow. 67-year-old Ra entered his unusual profession after years as a drifter. He was a college dropout, was discharged from the U.S. Navy, and hitchhiked his way across America. He worked a series of odd jobs – postal employee, security guard, janitor, and even farmer – and at one point, he dug his first cave, which he named "Heart Chamber".

Artistically Carves Entire Caves by Hand with a Pickaxe

In 1987, he dug his first cave, which he called the "Heart Chamber". It was located on public lands in Arroyo Seco. The cave immediately became a major local landmark, and the flow of tourists was endless. After some time, Ra Paulet even had to bury it because it was dug without precautions. Soon, Ra was commissioned by art lovers to create caves, but he ran into several creative differences due to his approach to the work. He doesn’t like taking instructions or following a brief. Instead, he waits for inspiration to hit him.

Ra Paulette tried several times to hire workers to speed up construction, but he says they couldn’t ‘get’ his cave-digging method. The sculptor is sure that this work should be felt; this craft cannot be learned. The only assistant is Ra Paulet – his faithful dog. "Cave of Ra" – the title is the common name for the 14 caves, created by one person over 5 years. Their director, Jeffrey Caroff, made the film "Cavedigger", which is expected to be nominated for an Oscar. Jeffrey Long studied man-made caves and came to the conclusion that these creations in the spirit of Gaudí architecture deserve to get international fame.

Incidentally, one of the caves, which Ra Paulet is now offering for sale, is the Tree of Human Kindness. "The Tree of Human Kindness" is located between the cities of Santa Fe and Taos and is estimated at a whopping $995,000.

First Image credit: Sjonnie van der Kist