Desert Empire

“The land here, people don’t stop. They just go through it.”

A worker at the National Chloride Mine of America in Amboy, California.

Desert Empire examines how residents and visitors are reflected in the barren landscapes of the Morongo Basin in Southern California during a moment of rapid change. In a region comfortable with cycles of natural and human history, this series questions whether this fits into that repetitive tide or if the Basin lies at the crossroads of an unprecedented cultural and physical shift.

This work was created during the 6-week Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency. My full artist statement can be read here.