Respite, 2022
High Desert Test Sites 2022
The Searchers curated by Iwona Blazwick
Permanent Installation, Mojave Desert
During my time living in the Morongo Basin (the Joshua Tree area for those not from around here) I have found that this desert holds significance for many as a place of refuge and transformation. It is often said that this desert acts as a magnifying glass, helping those who are sensitive to its calling, dig deep and see within themselves, helping them give over to its healing nature. It is a place to escape, a place to hide, a place to reckon with your inner self, the harshness of nature’s fist beaconing you to be present within yourself at every moment.
Respite was built as a sanctuary within the desert floor, calling attention to the beauty and majesty of this precious environment. It is the second piece in a series of works within the landscape of Wonder Valley, honoring the desert as sacred space. Reminiscent of the Zen concept of the Dewy Path where sequential spaces serve as a “means of spiritual preparation”, these works use the landscape and our relationship to sound and inner silence as a passageway to connecting to the numinous or transcendent.
