Gallery 4: Desert Landscapes
Photo Shoot in the
Joshua Tree Desert
"Being in the Joshua Tree desert with the plant that gives this desert its’ name, offers a paradox that fascinates and defines my understanding of a desert landscape. From a distance, a Joshua Tree: curvy and even cuddly, surrounded by a golden halo, yet as one draws nearer, the light that surrounds it is reflected and focused by the long and abundant spines that protect it. If one draws too near, spines will shoot from the plant, almost impossible to remove. This seems to me to be a parable for modern times: curiosity about something distant and unknown; the attraction, as one gets nearer, to the unusual and beautiful; the awakening to the reality of form and then to the nature of risk and choice.
The other cactus’ with their unexpected and remarkable flowers, provided inspiration to look at the contrast between the vivid colours of the blossom and the protective beauty of the spines.
Finally, I was at last able to offer my tribute to Georgia O’Keefe who has been an inspiration for so many years. Finding a clump of ‘her’ lilies growing wild was a special moment and allowed me to acknowledge her influence and importance to me personally."
Tribute to O'Keefe
Georgia O'Keefe has been a lifelong inspiration. When I discovered some of 'her' lillies in the Joshua Tree Desert I was really pleased and this picture is the result of those photographs and my tribute to her.
