THE MONTHLY | I AM

At the end of our day, I had heard there was one exhibit that was impossible to miss, but was only open to view at night. In the late evening, Tavares Stachan's  I Am  opens its gates to the football size field littered with light.

The piece is made up of numerous canisters that are dug into the ground, blockades to be walked around. Inside each canister a line of LED lights engulf the box. As the viewer walks across the field, the holes do not create any conceivable sense of space or direction. However, from an aerial view, the piece is a banner that says, "I Am", a statement that Strachan means to support self awareness and conscious presence, both within the environment and landscape, but also within oneself.

Although the piece is a large cohesive thought, each box on the surface is its own individual shape, a description of itself. In this way, each reminded me of a painterly brushstroke.

Although the viewer cannot see the piece, unless from above, it gives you the feeling of being on the surface of a canvas. Something that is larger than yourself. In the context of "I Am", my connection with the concept was effectively realized. 

In wonderment, I felt so compelled by this work and its massive existence. As far as an enlarged work goes, much akin to Land Art, its comprehensive presence inspired my own self awareness, which I hope many viewers experienced.

Desert X, in its inaugural year, was a complete success. It not only brought together fantastic artists to create these pieces, but also effectively provided a catalyst to create a community of art enthusiasts to open their eyes and consider a variety of spaces and mediums in a very thoughtful manner.

Image courtesy of Brooke DiDonato.

Images courtesy of David Blank Photography.