Desert X
Land Art in CaliforniaSomewhere between the jagged mountains and the billboard ads, one might be lucky to find a number of “land art” in their explorations surrounding Indio, California… With massive installations in nature scattered around, it makes for a fun treasure hunt that’s attracted tens of thousands of people since its opening. 16 artists have come to Palm Springs to bring their creativity to Desert X, stretching 45-miles wide until April 30.
Mirage
Amid the dust, a house clad in mirrors blends into the landscape around it, reflecting a kaleidoscope-like image of the urban grid and arid valley… That, is @dougaitkenworkshop ‘s “Mirage.” Taking the form of a suburban ranch house from the 1960s, this mirror-clad construction is built in particular angles that best reflect the sky and contrasting terrain it stands on.
@lancer.gerber Monument - In reproducing the underground nuclear shelter of former US president JFK during the Cold War era, artist #WillBoone set up an installation he called “Monument” that descends down into a bunker, where visitors will find a statue of said leader. The desert has always been a place to withdraw from the world, with many of Hollywood’s stars the frequent traveler who flocked to lose themselves far from the paparazzi.
The Circle of Land and Sky - Using the colors of the landscape and the big boundless sky as the focal point, @phillipksmith3 has positioned 300 vertically-standing mirrored posts at a slight 10-degree slant, to shape a circle. Aptly named “The Circle of Land and Sky”, it projects the light as the sunlight reflects on the mirrored surfaces, partly as a conversation on boundaries.
@lancer.gerber Curves and Zigzags
@lancer.gerber Who doesn’t like a bit of an optical illusion? Artist @claudiacomte created a huge one in the desert; the “Curves and Zigzags” stands as a towering white wall with undulating black lines in diagonal formations. Often playing on the duality of nature, organic form and geometric structure, Claudia described her work as “stringent yet playful.” When standing at a particular point, it may seem as though the wall could have no end-point!
ShyBot - Whilst all the above are well and large enough to find, not many (not one?) managed to take a snap of the one installation that’s taken its job too seriously. Artist #NormaJeane created the “ShyBot;” an autonomous robotic vehicle, designed to roam the desert plains while avoiding human contact. And successfully so! Don’t we all feel like that sometimes? Which one are you keen to see?
@_desertx 
