Joseph La Piana’s Tension in the Coachella Valley, set against the iconic backdrop of towering windmills, explores the forces of nature and the invisible pressures that shape our environment. This large-scale installation, featuring expansive, stretched latex anchored by the windmills and between the landscape reflects the push and pull between the natural and industrial worlds creating invisible energy force fields. In the harsh desert environment, Tension interacts with the wind and open space, transforming the artwork into a living, breathing entity. The tension lines mirror the mechanical tension of the wind turbines, symbolizing both the fragility and endurance of systems—natural and human-made—that power our world. La Piana’s work invites reflection on the unseen forces—wind, energy, and human impact—that define the desert’s unique character, while engaging viewers in a visceral dialogue with the environment and its constant state of flux.”
Desert X
Forthcoming event