This is the entrance leading into the garden. Its inviting charm already gives the viewer a glimpse of what is inside. Its ornate details continue throughout the garden. A plethora of bottles line the top of the beam that states one of his inspirations, folk art, and the year he began this installation, 1987. The viewer gets an insight into the mind of Isaiah Zagar.

The bold painted tile on this staircase leaves the viewer examining every step. Even though the tiles differ in size and color, the spacing of them give them a sense of unity that can appeal to the viewer. These stairs leading downward into the garden invite the viewers’ eyes to linger at Zagar’s style of work.

Zagar has the viewer feeling as if they drifted off into a surrealist wonderland. This corner of the garden is covered in disproportioned tile figures. The human forms covering the wall make the viewer feel as if they are in Zagar’s study. Intriguing quotes cross the wall, having the viewer explore every tile to read it.

Certain tiles were hand painted by Zagar himself. A lot of them consist of human figures. The proportions of them are wonky, but they make the figure more visually interesting and add emphasis to certain features. The eyes speak to the viewer and reappear throughout the garden. Cool and warm toned tiles pop off of the wall and a folk sculpture creates more visual diversity.

As the viewer proceeds through the garden, there are many stairwells and grottos that the viewers can pass through and enjoy. This allows their visit to not only be visual, but interactive. All of these stairways and grottos are heavily mosaicked, just like the rest of the garden. No step or turn goes without an interesting view.

Besides all of the glass and tile that covers the walls of Zagar’s maze, there are a myriad of sculptures built into his installation. The one that stood out the most was this menorah. There is something about the color and shape that really draws in the viewer. Also, the direction of the menorah really catches the viewers eye. All of the sculptures in the garden are askew which only embraces the feeling that the viewer is in one of Zagar’s dreams.

Exiting the garden, there are severely decorated walkways. These walkways really draw the viewers eyes to the end of the garden and allow them to take in everything they see along the way. The viewer will see more of Zagar’s disproportioned figures, along with intriguing quotes that will leave the viewer thinking. Even though all of these mediums differ, together they create a sense of unity that is Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.