Nearing Dissonance

Traditionally the term desert has referenced a place that is deserted, without people, and unpopulated. However, now, more than ever, the idea of an empty landscape is far less accurate. The desert I know is a transformative space. While we shape this land, nature continues to co-sculpt along side us. “Nearing Dissonance” is an on-going series reflecting on the inherent symbolism and continually challenged identities of the southwestern landscape. It is an environment wherein the passing of time is remarkably visible. As its geography unceasingly begs to be considered a frontier, we are presented with contemporary narratives concerning symmetry in nature and the human experience, paralleled by the romanticized and familiar persona of the once wild west. Ruled by the sun, this terrain endures in similar fashion as we do. It is a place of rebirth, transcendence, and adaptation, but it is also untamed, allowing for an often-dissonant correlation between it and us. We cannot resist the challenge that is this land. It is relentless, just as we are. By questioning concepts of permanence and uncertainty, this on-going body of work examines the conscious and unconscious realities of what this desert stage provides.