Inflatable Bomb Plumes
“I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid. You’re afraid of us.” – The Matrix
On September 11, 2001 I was in Wonder Valley, CA. As far away from New York City, both geographically and culturally, as one could be. The following day I was awoken to the sounds and vibrations of bombing from the 29 Palms military base. I am part owner of a homestead cabin 16 miles from Adobe Road off of Amboy and live full time in Los Angeles. This is a personal and political project.
Over the past twelve years, the bombings in this area have been consistent, especially on weekends and holidays. Due to this region’s similar landscape/climate to US conflicts abroad, the 29 Palms base has been the practice ground for military conditioning from Afghanistan to Iraq, to Libya to Egypt, and now in preparation for Syria. The bomb drills are rarely seen and always felt through the reverberation of the earth in this area. The physical and psychological effects are as transparent as the cracking cement foundations of most homes in this area and to the opaque “I feel safe that they are doing this” sentiments from some of this areas residence.
Inflatable Bomb Plumes is a visual installation of bomb plumes to be placed in front of homes throughout this area - as a visual form of the bombs that are only heard and felt but never seen.
Saturday–Sunday, October 12–13, 2013
79123 Amboy Road (at Amboy & Allen Rd)
Wonder Valley, California
OCTOBER 12, 2013 - OCTOBER 19, 2013
High Desert Test Sites hits the road for a full week of experimental art and exploration, from Joshua Tree to Albuquerque!
HDTS 2013, the ninth program in a series of free ranging and ever evolving contemporary art events, expands our range and depth to take in everything from Joshua Tree, California to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Roughly 60 new projects will take place over an entire week, during which artists and audience alike will traverse over 700 miles of desert roads to check out the new work and explore the hidden gems and diverse desert communities along this spectacular stretch of the Southwest.
Project sites include: Amboy Crater, Arcosanti, Area 66 (Yucca), Art Queen (Joshua Tree), Bluewater Lake State Park, El Malpais National Monument, El Rancho Hotel (Gallup), Giant Rock (Landers), Hill Top Motel (Kingman), Magdalena Ridge Observatory (Socorro), Mill Restaurant (Crown King), Montessa Park (Albuquerque), Palms Restaurant and Saloon (Wonder Valley), Petrified Forest National Park, Octopus Car Wash (Albuquerque), Pink Post Office Projects (Wonder Valley), Tamarind Institute (Albuquerque), Warehouse 1-10 (Magdalena), in addition to our regular HDTS sites.
The week’s festivities include a Saturday night opening dinner (first-come-first-served) at The Palms in Wonder Valley October 12, with musical performances by The Sibleys and The Renderers.
A zine-style publication, designed by Brad Hudson Thomas, with original texts by James Trainor and Eden Solas, will accompany the event.
