BOXOProjects Residency
Location: 34°08′05″N, 116°18′42″W
Altitude: 2,758 ft
I respectfully acknowledge that this body of work has been created on the traditional and unceded lands of the Serrano, Chemehuevi, and Cahuilla peoples. It has been a privilege to observe, engage with, and create in relationship to the land, skies, and waters of this desert, which hold deep cultural and spiritual significance.
34°08′05″N, 116°18′42″W
Altitude: 2,758 ft
October - December 2024
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
As the invited artist-in-residence at BoxoPROJECTS in
Joshua Tree, California, I proposed a project centered on creating a body of
paintings that respond to the lighting conditions and environmental context of
the residency. My approach began with embodied research, spending extensive time observing and engaging with the land of and around the residency through daily walks, wildlife and sky observations while studying the shifting qualities of light—particularly
during dawn and dusk.
EMBODIED RESEARCH
This research process led to the creation of a sensorial
mood board composed of photo documentation, voice notes, color palettes, and
smaller scale oil on paper.
From these explorations, I identified key
themes to guide my work:
-Slow
(as in revealing itself slowly)
-Dry,
matte, and light absorption quality of the landscape.
-Baren yet thriving
-Adaptable
-Quiet,
low soundscape
-Monochromatic
and desaturated tones
-Rigid
grid system of roads and property lines imposed without consideration for
the natural topography.
-Narrow,
spiky trees cast minimal, almost invisible shadows, leaving the landscape exposed to the midday sun.
-Vast,
expansive sky
-Untouchable,
even risky to touch
-Isolated with a closed knit community.
-Peaceful, sense of time expansion
-Open
IDEAS & CONCEPTS
Four main elements emerged to guide my body of paintings:
Slow
coming: The desert landscape unfolds gradually, requiring time and
patience to notice its subtle details. Its minimalism and monochromatic
tones encourage a shift in perception, inviting you to let go of
preconceived notions and allow the environment to reveal itself.
The vastness of the sky: seeing how its changing light conditions alter the
perception of the landscape and the emotional experience of being within
it.
The notion of time: Investigating the desert’s ability to evoke an
expanded sense of time.
Light absorption and shimmering effects: Reflecting on the the landscape’s non-reflective quality that is contrasted by the shimmering effect
observed at dawn and dusk on the creosote’s fuzzy,
white, pea-sized seed pods.
FINDINGS
Abstract Paintings rooted in Embodied Research:
Grid Structure
Inspired by the 2 x 2-inch wire mesh fence enclosing the residency property, this square grid became the foundational structure for the geometric patterns in my paintings.
Seriality
Explored in multiple ways throughout this collection, including a series of 11 x 14” oil paintings on paper that investigate composition, color, and paint finishes. Subtleties in painting techniques are refined within this series and carried forward into the larger works.
The sky series
Four 40 x 36” paintings serving as windows into the sky. These works are abstracted notions of changing lighting conditions observed at dawn, day, twilight, and night. The compositions incorporate linear elements referencing the gridded road system that defines the desert landscape, alongside triangular forms inspired by the minimal shadows cast by the desert's spindly plants. Their slow reading demands a curious eye to capture their subtlety in color and reflective/absorptive light quality.
Shimmer
Five paintings titled "Hommage aux créosotes" focusing on the shimmering effect observed on the creosote’s furry seed pods during dawn and dusk, capturing the interplay of light, texture, and the desert’s atmosphere.
SITE-RESPONSIVE INSTALLATION
34°08′05″N, 116°18′42″W Altitude: 2,758 ft
This project culminated in a site-responsive
installation examining the interplay between light, physical space, and
sensory experience. The installation invited the public to engage with the
concepts developed during the residency, emphasizing light as both the subject
and material of painting.
Date: Saturday, December 7th, 2024
Time: 2–5 PM (Twilight)
Location: BoxoPROJECTS, 62732 Sullivan Road
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
An artist talk will be presented online on Thursday Dec 12th at 1PM, information to follow.
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