A publication made after the artist residency Matza Amboy in the Mojave desert, California. Inspired by the ungraspable desert landscapes, the particular population of the territory as well as the imaginary stories so closely linked to this context, an installation was made onsite. This publication is an extension of the installation piece Ghost Drop with a dedicated fictional text that mixes experiences and projections.
Amboy, California, is a town located on the old 66 road in the heart of the mojave desert. Gaz station, post office, trailers, abandoned motel and no fresh water. The ghost town has stories of murders and satanic cults and since the town is at 3 hours from L.A, it’s a recurrent background for Hollywood movies. In front and behind the town, the beige and hot desert continues. The devil’s peak (in beige) is an installation composed of a glass pyramid distilling fresh water from the salty water lying beneath the ground in the primitive bristol lake, a concrete bench in shape of a crystal of salt and a windmill, lightning a neon bar translating the wind in morse language. The installation works as an attempt to translate both the hostile environment and landscape and the fiction narrative surrounding the ghost town.
Text by Maxime Bondu
