memory
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This work has such a long history! Giovanni Jance is a friend and was a frequent collaborator in the 1990s. (He was involved in the Wagon Station customization, our hiking club, and we did a photo collaboration together that involved A-Z West in the very early days. His practice is primarily photography and video.
Giovanni originally planted this large metal arrow along the side of the road at the point where most people entered the Pioneertown parcel. At the time the arrow was painted red, and there was a sign next to it that had a topographical map of the area. I’m trying to remember if the sign also said: “you are here” or if I’m just imagining that. I don’t think that he intended it to be a literal marker for the parcel, but it was really useful because people always got lost out there trying to find the location. After the HDTS event we decided to leave the work as a permanent piece, but a few months later someone tried to bash the arrow over, evidently using a truck or strong vehicle. The arrow bent at an angle, but didn’t break off, so after that they painted it brown. We spent so much time trying to figure out who had done it and finally began to suspect that it was probably Garth. Garth would discuss our projects with people who visited his place up the hill from us and would point out which ones he thought were appropriate for the desert and which ones needed altering to make them fit in better with the natural environment. We also found out that he covers everything at his compound with a color of paint that he calls “Garth Tan” – in fact the local Home Depot has this color on file in their system. I’m pretty sure that Giovanni’s arrow was painted Garth Tan.
Later for a following HDTS event, Giovanni had the arrow restored. This time he painted it orange and placed it further out in the middle of Andy’s 100 acres where no one could reach it with a vehicle. The arrow lived there in peace for a number of years until it finally bent and broke off. We are still not sure if the bending was the result of vandalism or of natural weathering.