2023

performance, soil from Mormon Mesa in Nevada where Michael Heizer’s “Double Negative” was created, recycled Plexiglas, grow lights, digitally printed poster (22”x28”)

“What the Desert Already Has” focuses on the small, time-consuming effort of desert life, from seed to plant. This piece uses soil harvested from Mormon Mesa, where Michael Heizer created “Double Negative” placed is two 1/120 scale trenches which is then irrigated and lit with grow lights to encourage dormant seeds to grow. Intended as a long-term, slow performance, this piece focuses on the small, persistent efforts of abundant desert life, contrasted with the large, destructive bulldozing and mark-making of 1960s/70s land artists like Heizer. The botanical poster situated between the two Plexiglas trenches features plants found by the artist and citizen scientists on iNaturalist with information on known ethnobotanical uses.

The Mormon Mesa Botanical Poster is available for sale on steadyhandmaps.com.