“Bleu” Steel Stallions

By Christopher Dyrland-Marquis

Art in Motion

Artist Jim Dolan on the inspiration behind the renowned Bleu Horses sculpture.

Driving the vast distances between Montana’s sleepy little town of Three Forks and its bustling capital of Helena to the North, it would be easy to assume that an equestrian ranch must be operating alongside Highway 287. After all, every commuter can spot a few dozen majestic horses peppering the landscape’s arid prairie and sandy bluffs. Thirty-nine manes and tails swish in the breeze in total—some slowly appear to move their heads—but the sight is slightly odd: numerous faces continue to resolutely gaze into the distance with statuesque majesty.

“Statuesque”… The word provokes a closer look, and you might suddenly question why several appear unmoving. They are alive, right? You must have seen at least one colt shift its weight in the distance, but before you get any answers you’ve already driven past. Road safety forces you to peel your eyes away, and the herd is gone as fast as it appeared, leaving you casting lingering questions into the rearview mirror.

Montana traffic data indicates that in 2020, Highway 287 boasted a daily average of 6,014 vehicles traveling by the “Bleu Horses” art installation every year. With no visible explanation for the surreal sculptures, thousands of viewers are often left with more questions than answers. But, for metal sculptor Jim Dolan, his impressive installation has a clear purpose: “I decided that it was time to do a big project,” he explains. “I had nothing else coming in—and actually not very much money—but said, ‘You know what? I can make this work, I’ll just work on it,’ so that’s what I did. I had one, full-time guy help me with it … For me to make it in 40 years as an artist, I wanted to thank the people that helped me. The way I did it was to make a sculpture and give it to them … I gave them to the people of Montana—so you own them too—they belong to you and everybody else in the state as my gift.”

Part of the widespread acclaim for Dolan’s “Bleu Horses'' stems from their clever design: many sculptures exhibit elongated legs, unbraided nylon ropes dangling from their hindquarters, and moving body parts that occasionally shift in the wind. The artist’s cunning statues ensure that viewers immediately perceive the installation as a living variety of foals, mares, and steeds, before any closer observations reveal their subtle artistry. Anyone appreciating them from up-close could never mistake the sculptures’ 7-foot-tall presence, or vibrant blue, black, and white paint jobs for the real thing.

“Some people are completely fooled,” Dolan chuckles. “We’ve had people call the sheriff's department and report: ‘Hey, these horses are starving,’ because they’re thin, you know? Size-wise, they’re about 7 feet at the shoulder: there are some horse breeds that big, but they’re basically oversized to make them look [real] … Then, we put—do you know what Rhino Liner is? You see it in pickup trucks, in the beds in the back, that black stuff—it’s like a really thick paint, or like a tar. We completely covered them with that black, then came back and highlighted it with blue [paint] … Take some blue, and some ‘not blue,’ and pretty soon your mind starts filling everything else in.”

Though Dolan hasn’t always crafted dimensional sculptures to pique the curiosity of his audience—he originally graduated from an agricultural masters program at Montana State University—his passion for metalworking encouraged an artist’s life. But building a career out of artwork is seldom easy, and Dolan took time to explain some of the sacrifices he’s made in pursuit of a livelihood. “I can do it now in the valley, I’m well enough known here after 50 years, and there's enough rich people moving in to buy your work, but back in ‘71 I started full-time. I mean, I literally was going door-to-door to people I thought had money to buy a $25 to $30 piece. Then I used to go to a show-a-month out of state, and lots of times another friend and I—we both went to these shows, but we slept in our pickups and washed up in the restrooms … We were just totally broke.”

Challenges aside, Dolan has led an impressive and successful career—and he isn't done yet. He plans to keep creating inventive sculptures that spark wonder in his viewers, enthusiastically sharing his latest idea: “I’m trying to do some more pieces that haven’t been done. I’ve been thinking [about] how to do this … I want to do a sculpture of Francis, the saint. And, he’s in his robe right? So he’s on a pogo stick, just starting to come down … Where his robe starts to fill out … And he’ll have his right hand out in front of him with a vertical motion, like he’s giving a blessing.” The whimsical image draws out a hearty laugh from both of us, confirming that Dolan wouldn’t want his work to be anything different. In the future, should you find yourself squinting at any herds of distant horses, feel free to let your imagination run wild, and spare a thought for the local artist determined to preserve it.

All photos by Jim Dolan Art