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Experience Desert through Drawings
Text / Echo He
The Glowing Desert installation was conceived while Muntges participated in the Roswell Artist-in-Residence project in New Mexico in 2019. The light precipitation totals, abundant sunshine and low relative humidities makes Roswell a natural habitat for typical desert plants like cacti and succulents. With the belief that the ultimate experience needed to see the real world comes from experiencing the drawn line, Muntges studied different types of plants and made precise artificial replication of their real counterpart: Cacti made of foam, plants made of silk, paper and metal, rocks cast in paper-machè, ground made of dyed black sand came together and weaved up an imaginary world that bridges three dimension and two dimensions. In this article we juxtaposed some original works by Muntges with their genesis from nature to offer another perspective to the artist’s practices.
Anne Muntges
Glowing Desert Artifact-Barrel Cactus Planter
2020
Acrylic paint marker, gesso, paint, foam, plastic, ceramic pot
8 x 8 x14 in. (20.32 x 20.32 x 35.56 cm)
Name: Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)
Genus: Echinocactus
Origin: Mexico desert
Height: About 8″ indoors or a little over 4′ high outdoors.
Flowers: Yellow flowers may form on mature plants.
Care: Bright sun and warm temperatures. Plants kept in a cooler setting tend to develop a barrel shape.
Anne Muntges
Glowing Desert Artifact-Prickly Pear
2020
Acrylic paint marker, gesso, paint, foam, paper, wire, plastic, rock, ceramic pot,
11 x 11 x 20 in. (35.5 x 35.5 x 49 cm)
Name: Pickly Pear (Opuntia)
Genus: Opuntia
Origin: America
Height: Less than a foot to 7 ft (2.1 m) tall
Flowers: Yellow flowers may form on mature plants.
Care: Bright sun and warm temperatures. Well drained sandy soil.
Anne Muntges
Glowing Desert Artifact-Monstera
2020
Acrylic paint marker, gesso, paint, foam, wire, plastic, ceramic pot
20 x 16 x 21 in. (51 x 41 x 53.5 cm)
Name: Monstera Deliciosa (Swiss Cheese plant)
Genus: Araceae
Origin: Tropical forests of southern Mexico
Height: 6.6–9.8 ft
Care: Bright to medium indirect light, water every 1-2 weeks, allowing soil to dry out between waterings
Anne Muntges
Glowing Desert Artifact-Aloe
2020
Acrylic paint marker, gesso, paint, foam, plastic, ceramic pot
15 x 15 x 14 in. (38 x 38 x 35.5 cm)
Anne Muntges
Glowing Desert Artifact-Aeonium Sunburst
2020
Acrylic paint marker, gesso, paint, foam, plastic, ceramic pot
8 x 8 x 10 in. (20.32 x 20.32 x 25.4 cm)
Anne Muntges
Glowing Desert Artifact-Peruvian Apple Cactus
2020
Acrylic paint marker, gesso, paint, foam, plastic, ceramic pot
8 x 6 x 32 in. (20 x 15 x 81 cm)
Name: Peruvian Apple Cactus (Cereus repandus)
Genus: Cereus
Origin: Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina
Height: Can reach to 33 ft
Flower: Also known as “night-blooming cereus cactus”, it produces large, cream-colored flowers that only open for one night
Care: Bright but indirect light. Water thoroughly and allow soil to dry out before watering again.