On the edge of a Native American land tract on the outskirts of Palm Springs, California, stand a pair of bright-yellow cubes. These form a site-specific art installation titled “The Wishing Well” by Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey. The work is on view as part of Desert X, a sprawling biennial exhibition in and around Palm Springs and the neighboring desert towns of the Coachella Valley in Southern California. This year marks the third installment of Desert X. Clottey’s artwork is made from thousands of tile-like squares sourced from yellow “kuofor gallons” or jerrycans, ubiquitous plastic containers used to transport water from wells throughout Ghana. The juxtaposition of an artwork made from water containers and its setting in a water-starved desert is ironic.
Photos: Van Corsa
GLOBAL GRAPHICA 