The work in this show is inspired by the six months that artist Lisa Kairos spent in the Mojave Desert, just outside Joshua Tree National Park. The artist took long walks through the desert–thinking, feeling, observing, and then returning to the studio to study satellite imagery of the area and to paint. The resulting artworks reference geological formations revealed by satellite maps overlaid with aerial views passing through infinite landscapes. Cloud-like blooms recur, inviting alternate readings as micro-organic and crystalline structures and massive weather patterns.
Creating this new body of work while orienting to an unfamiliar landscape, Kairos was captivated with the notion of change. She explains: “The high desert is a place of transitions, some so subtle they require time and acute attention to detect, others generously unfurling, hi-fi, impossible to miss.” Upon arrival, the landscape seemed a dry, barren place. But by instinct, an artist’s eye seeks color; and in time, Kairos’ eyes became more sensitive, tuning into the gradations of color in the plants, the rocks, and the sky. “Transitional times of day are marked by dramatic color–magenta, peach, orange, dusky purple, teal, star-strewn indigo blue. Spring blooms are breathtaking in their brief and bright exuberance.”
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