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Joshua Tree’s Hypnotically Reflective Desert Shack


Lucid Stead is an architectural installation by artist Phillip K. Smith III that takes an existing structure in the deserts of Joshua Tree, California and revitalizes it with mirrors, LED lights, and custom built technology to accentuate the beauty of the bare landscape. Aptly referred to as an “architectural intervention,” the 70-year-old homesteader shack's weathered and worn stature is transformed into a remarkable vision that makes viewers question whether they are hallucinating.

The artistic, reconstructive project maintains the dimensions of the shack and simply adds an element of intrigue and optical illusion through the addition of reflective panels that echo the surrounding landscape. Smith says, “Lucid Stead is about tapping into the quiet and the pace of change of the desert. When you slow down and align yourself with the desert, the project begins to unfold before you. It reveals that it is about light and shadow, reflected light, projected light, and change.”










Lucid Stead website
Phillip K. Smith III website
via [Juxtapoz]

Pinar

Pinar Noorata (she/her) is the Editorial Director at My Modern Met. She is a writer, editor, and content creator based in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her BA in Film and Media Studies from CUNY Hunter College. She has worked at major TV, film, and publishing companies as well as other independent media businesses. She also runs her own art & culture newsletter called The High Low. She first joined the My Modern Met team in 2011 as a Contributing Writer, pitching and publishing articles about a wide range of topics. Her expertise in visual media lends itself to in-depth analysis of varied art forms, including but not limited to painting, illustration, sculpture, installation, design, and photography. Pinar has a particular affinity for spotlighting up-and-coming artists, affording them a platform and offering a voice to lesser-heard individuals looking to break through, especially BIPOC creatives. She has helped multiple artists make a name for themselves and reach a wider audience over 10+ years as a writer and editor (both through long-form articles and short-form videos). When she isn’t writing, editing, or creating videos herself, Pinar enjoys watching films and TV, reading, crafting, drawing, frequenting museums and galleries, and volunteering at her local animal shelter.
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