Simple Snake Sculpture, Twentynine Palms CA; installed 4/6/2024

 

Simple Snake Sculpture 

desert rocks on desert boulder; dimensions variable

Mark Pino 2024

 

Soon after moving to the Sonoran Desert, I began hiking very avidly. The fact that rattlesnakes abound within the desert landscape was made clear to me during one late afternoon hike on the east side of Tucson. Essentially, I nearly stepped right onto an older rattlesnake that was molting its skin right on the hiking trail. That encounter embedded within my consciousness a kind of snake essence. The rattlesnake is an eternal presence within the desert. Can you hear its messages? Can you feel its presence all around you? 

This sculpture was installed upon the Fortynine Palms Trail, just outside of Twentynine Palms CA, in the Joshua Tree park. Mojave Desert. I noticed a rock that looked a lot like a snake head, as so many rocks are wont, and began working on a snake sculpture. The snake is not an adversary to be feared. The snake is an energy to be admired and respected. 

Below: details of the Simple Snake Sculpture

 

 

I decided to keep one rock as evidence of this art occurrence. A gift from the Mojave Desert, the most gracious of hosts.