Original artwork description:

The landscape of the American desert is peaceful, evoking ideas of separation, isolation, and quiet exploration. Yet as humans we have invaded a once quiet place, bringing with us the hype of civilization. I have recently begun investigating the modern “oasis” that now exists in the Southwest. In a place where non-indigenous peoples were never meant to survive, it is now possible to be comfortable. Water supplies are brought from other areas of the country, technologies allow us to control the temperature of our interior environments, plants never meant for the desert decorate the gardens– all in order to make it feel a little less like living somewhere we (perhaps) don’t belong. We have negated the idea of not belonging in the desert and replaced it with the statement that we can belong anywhere. My recent work highlights the visual contrasts between man-made and natural spaces, creating an almost forceful coexistence between the two – at once in harmony and at odds.

Materials used:

wood, oil, acrylic, graphite

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