ACO. Residency - HIGH DESERT TEST SITES

For the month of October I will be spending time at the HDTS as part of the residency program in Joshua Tree, California. A-Z West is a living art work created by Andrea Zittel.

”A-Z West has functioned as an evolving testing ground for living—a place in which spaces, objects, and acts of living all intertwine into a single ongoing investigation into what it means to exist and participate in our culture today. “How to live?” and “What gives life meaning?”

Below is a visual diary of my time, ideas, photos & explorations I undertake. This includes time spent in Los Angeles and exploring into the desert landscapes of the South West.

02/11/2026 - Phoenix

01/11/2026 - Joshua Tree → Phoenix

31/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

30/10/2026 - Joshua Tree & Yucca Valley

29/10/2026 - 29 Palms

28/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

25/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

24/10/2026 - Wonder Valley & Joshua Tree

23/10/2026 - Yucca Valley & Joshua Tree

22/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

21/10/2026 - Yucca Valley & Joshua Tree

20/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

19/10/2026 - 29 Palms & Joshua Tree

18/10/2026 - Yucca Valley & Big Bear

17/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

16/10/2026 - Palm Springs

15/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

14/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

13/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

12/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

First full day in the wood shop working on the kitchen cabinets for the Far East Cabin. A full sized table saw and room to move really made progress possible. No Domino or Lamello here for aiding the cabinet builds so it’ll be brad nails and screws for holding it all in place.

We had big rain and high winds over the weekend and temperatures dropped to around 16 from 36 last week. So alot of the sandy roads in the area have been washed down the hill leaving large gullies and erosion on the roads.

11/10/2026 - Joshua Tree

Exploring the archives of Desert magazines from 1970 - 75. A Lot of promises of get rich quick schemes and adverts for metal detectors. Land out in the desert was cheap and sometimes free around this time