Artist Statement on 24 hr Convenience

MANAGING THE IMPACT

When I arrived at Joshua Tree to begin my work for this exhibition, I realized: “Nature’s solitude and vastness creates a feeling in men to be redundant”. To my surprise the icons of convenience are numerous along Highway 62. They proclaim we are above nature.

In my pictures the objects of convenience were digitally transplanted from their original highway location into the desert landscape, giving the viewer the opportunity to redefine their value (i.e. we are looking at a billboard, now placed directly in front of the park’s impressive rocky scenery). A shopper pushes his cart aimlessly towards the mountains. The view of a lonely desert mural promises to save us the trip to the neighboring park.

Manfred Menz