Got Art? That’s the question Rick Denman posed. We are standing before the Great Wall of Topanga. It’s a whimsical drive-through art gallery. This is no ordinary wall. It’s a statement.
The Great Wall of Topanga sneaks up on you as you cruise along Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Just seven miles from the Pacific Ocean this strange sight pops into view. It beckons you to slow down. Give it a little attention.
The entire installation takes up 48 feet of retaining wall. It is on the east side of the road along a curve. Froggy’s Topanga Fish Market is right across the street. Hillside Drive is bisected nearby.
Rick Denman created the Great Wall of Topanga as an anti-art piece. The concrete retaining wall that supports a balcony on his property got tagged. Street artist Banksy was in town then promoting his film Exit Through the Gift Shop. Denman’s friends suspected Banksy might be behind the spray-painted art.
Denman worried about Banksy collectors hammering away at his retaining wall. He didn’t want them absconding with the renegade street artist’s work. The piece was painted by an artist with the handle Accountability. This artist worked in the Banksy style.
Denman then thought maybe his retaining wall could serve as a canvas. He assembled detritus into the words Got Art? This was an appeal for artists to contribute their own works to the wall. He painted Great Wall of Topanga. He added a Facebook thumbs-up in front of it. This let passers-by know about the wall’s Facebook page.
Over the years there have been many different iterations of the art displayed on the Great Wall of Topanga. Toys Wuz Us is one. Denman started collecting plastic toys he found on his bike rides. He assembled them into a treatise on the nature of disposable plastic playthings. This portion comprises the far right side of the art wall.
Denman crafted a giant rat trap with an over-sized spray-paint can as the bait. It’s a tongue-in-cheek nod to Banksy. Banksy often depicts himself as a rat. Initially the Banksy-attracting rat trap was installed over the shoulder of the road. A California Highway Patrol officer called it a hazard to cyclists. Denman moved it so it would be out of the way. It would offer better photo opportunities for visitors admiring the wall.
Three faces emulate Gustav Borglum’s Mt. Rushmore. They look out at the passing traffic. One is made from a surfboard. Another is made up of pieces of push brooms, pool noodles, and car repair ramps. The third incorporates a kitchen sink for its eyes. Denman is still looking for a fourth candidate. This is Mt. Rush-Hour.
Two replica Terracotta Warriors were donated to the wall in 2012. These stout figures required some support. Denman built cinder block pedestals for them to stand on. They now guard passage to a stairway that leads to his property. Someone damaged the two Terracotta statues breaking off their heads and hands in early 2021.
The wall is also home to a butterfly and a gecko. Both are made from beer bottle caps mounted on plywood. These are a bit challenging to see when driving by. You can easily see them if you stop safely. Walk up to take a closer look.
In 2012 Denman installed 20 wooden figures. They represent children at play. He also put the word Kids in remembrance of the 20 kindergartners killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. This is a Sandy Hook Memorial.
The installation’s first incarnation appeared on Friday July 16, 2011. This day lives in infamy to Southern Californians as Carmageddon. That was the first weekend that the 405 was shut down. Without the 405 other traffic arteries like Topanga Canyon Boulevard were expected to take on heavier than normal traffic. The Great Wall was there to grab their attention.
The Great Wall of Topanga has also received its fair share of negative governmental attention. Denman was accused of soliciting art with the Got Art? tagline. The local Department of Planning threatened him with a $2400 fine for unlawful outdoor advertising. The wording Great Wall of Topanga was also considered illegal advertising because of the Facebook thumbs-up. The whole thing was for a time painted over.
Based on how it looks today all the bureaucracy around the wall has been resolved. The Great Wall of Topanga has been entertaining drivers for ten years. An estimated 20000 pass by daily.
Its age is showing. Many of the pieces are covered with that patina of atmospheric grime particular to the Los Angeles basin. So here we are at this odd art installation and local curiosity. The Great Wall of Topanga is very much worth a visit.