The desert is not a neutral backdrop. It changes scale, perception, color, and time itself. For many artists, it becomes an active collaborator.

Join Gisela Colón, Ryan Schneider, Ry Rocklen, and Phillip K. Smith III for a conversation about making work in the high desert and how environment influences form.

Moderated by writer and critic Andrew Berardini (Artforum contributor), this discussion will move between studio practice and philosophical reflection — examining light as medium, space as structure, and silence as a generative force.

In a region known for experimentation and independence, these artists share how living and working in the desert continues to challenge and expand their creative boundaries.