Joshua Tree, just two hours from Los Angeles and at the crossroads of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts, has long been considered a center of creative visions and mystical passage. The park’s botanical namesake, the Joshua tree, was christened so by migrating Mormons in the 19th Century, who, in its prickly cluster of branches, saw the biblical prophet’s hands raised in prayer. Considered one of the most stunning national parks in the United States, numerous artists, writers, and designers have heeded the siren song towards its isolation in recent decades for its inspiring vastness and a distinct, transcendental energy.

 

With the wind at our backs, we hopped on Route 10 through the mountains and wind turbines to visit Caris Reid, a painter whose art summons the metaphysical archetypes of femininity and the human condition. Since putting down roots in the desert, Reid’s work has expanded to include different forms, mediums, and focus, with her just having finished a large mural in downtown L.A. We joined her in her beautiful, light-filled studio surrounded by quail families and succulents to discuss her work and how working in the wilds of Joshua Tree has cultivated her process.

 

Art Zealous: How did you find yourself in Joshua Tree?
Caris Reid: I came out to Joshua Tree last winter to make paintings for a solo show in Los Angeles. I was only planning to stay for two months, but it’s a year later, and I’m still here.

 

AZ: Can you tell us a little bit about your current work and practice?
CR: My paintings explore feminine archetypes. I play with symmetry, repetition, and symbolism to evoke specific energetic spaces. Sometimes healing and soothing, sometimes a little charged and off balance, often playing with dualities. I take a very graphic approach to the work, using bold flat colors, which brings an immediacy to the paintings. And yet most of the themes underlying the work are ineffable, emotional and spiritual.

 

 

AZ: What are your current inspirations/reference points?
CR: Lately, I’ve been drawn to Tantric Art, and healing traditions. One of my current paintings, “The Record Keeper,” has a triangular symbol on her chest, used in Tantra, representing the goddess Kali, who is connected to both creation and destruction. Downward triangles, in general, represent the feminine aspect. Another painting, “Feast or Famine,” is covered in hands, potentially healing hands, connected to Reiki. But there’s a lot of asymmetry at play, and her relationship to the hands is ambiguous and full of contradictions.

 

AZ: What are some projects you are working on now and where can we see them?
CR: Right now I’m finishing a few paintings for the SPRING/BREAK Art Show, opening on March 7th in New York, in a space curated by Sarah Potter.

 

AZ: For you, what are the benefits to your practice and way of life by living in Joshua Tree?
CR: My practice was becoming more and more meditative leading up to my move, and I found the way I wanted to engage with my studio practice really challenging in New York. It can be a difficult place for “stillness.” My days are quieter than they used to be. I wake up with the sun; I meditate, sometimes go for an early hike, and am in the studio by 9:00 or 10:00 am. There are far less distractions here. In New York, there is so much competing for your attention. I also feel a stronger connection to nature now then I used to – and to the sun.

 

 

AZ: What does your studio practice involve? Do you have a particular ritual you keep while in the studio, or outside?
CR: I always start my day in the studio by meditating. If a new painting is being created, I lay a hand on its surface and send it Reiki. It’s a small gesture, but one that is meaningful to me. Objects carry energetic frequencies, and that moment of quiet exchange, of honoring the object before imbuing it with life, sets the tone before the painting begins. And then I paint.

 

AZ: What is different about working in Joshua Tree from say, LA or New York?
CR: So much! There are fewer distractions, for one. And I’m way more isolated. I can really slip off into my hermetic zone if I want to. I use to spend so much time engaging with culture in New York, which I do miss, but with the internet, and Instagram, I still feel connected to it. And LA is only a few hours away.

 

AZ: What do you like best about the creative scene in this area?
CR: It’s a small town, but there are a lot of interesting creatives here. Everyone has a very DIY spirit and a deep respect for the land. It’s been fascinating to see how many of the creatives I’ve met here are couples working intimately together to build a shared vision. It’s inspiring.

 

 

AZ: What are some of your favorite activities up in Joshua Tree?
CR: Sitting around a bonfire with friends, going for an early morning hike in the park, sitting on my porch and watching birds and rabbits. Watching the sunset.

 

AZ: Where are your favorite places in Joshua Tree?
CR: La Copine has great food. And there are so many wonderful places to stay out here. The Shack Attack and Dome in the Desert are both really special, run by friends Kathrin Smirke and Brian Smirke. So is The Joshua Tree Casita run by my friends Sara and Rich Combs.

 

AZ: And lastly, how would you describe Joshua Tree to someone who has never been?
CR: Arid. Wild. Healing.

 


all images // courtesy of the artist