ARTIST STATEMENT

"Desert High" is a body of work produced during the month of August 2023, that emerged from my brief yet profoundly immersive residency experience in a remote, corner of the Mojave Desert - Yucca Valley in The Mesa, nestled to the southeast of the Mojave Preserve, just a short distance from Joshua Tree. With no predetermined agenda, my intention was simply to draw inspiration from the surrounding environment, profoundly influenced by my first encounter into this unique biome. Through my work, I aimed to offer a singular perspective on my Mojave Desert encounter, allowing the desert's intrinsic language and landscape communicate with me during a transient, yet beautiful and magical moment.
The exhibition subsequently was grouped into 3 parts.

DESERT MAGAZINE
A series of collages utilizing vintage covers from the Desert Magazine publication. The magazine, which I discovered during serendipitous online search, was an obscure but iconic publication that focused on the desert regions of the US Southwest, including California, Arizona, and Nevada. It was published between 1937 and 1985 with a conservationist bent. The magazine is renowned for its exceptional photography and lively content, covering topics such as geology, art, wildlife, gardening, prospecting, camping, Native American culture, flora, and more. I was completely captivated by its rugged and warmly nostalgic mid-century vernacular design style, particularly its iconic logo, 'DESERT.' The typography of the logo became a focal point, emphasizing its self-referential essence through the processes of deconstruction, reconfiguration, and fragmentation of its letterforms.

WINDSCAPE DRAWINGS
Inspired by the meditative movement and sounds of the wind as I stared out form the studio. I created the wind-driven drawings by hanging a marker from a Mesquite tree branch, positioning the paper on the desert floor. This setup allowed the marker to move in a rhythmic manner, much like a metronome, solely powered by the wind, without my intervention. I'm fascinated by the blend of rhythmic and unpredictable patterns shaped by the wind's movements in the Mojave Desert, resulting in an abstract design.

JOSHUA TREE
The Joshua tree wasn't initially a subject - it seemed to be all around, almost overwhelming in its prevalence. However, during my final days in the studio, with several trees just a few yards away and a blank canvas staring at me, I found myself deeply immersed in their presence, getting up close with these ubiquitous plants of the Mojave Desert. This experience has led me to develop a profound appreciation for their intricate structure and undeniable presence. It was pretty clear to me that I wanted to create a painting that pays a homage to the Joshua Tree's unique beauty and significance. Utilizing the Joshua Tree's fallen needles as a template to create imprints of its iconic spiky yucca leaves and flower blooms felt like an organic and appropriate choice.