Colour Your Worlde

Joshua Tree National Park has been the backdrop for many album covers over the years. Think past U2's 1987 release. Joshua Tree was also the setting for the self titled first release of the Eagles. which was shot at the cholla gardens on the eastern edge of the park. The orchestrators behind that iconic Eagles cover were artist Gary Burden and photographer Henry Diltz -- the men widely credited with inventing the concept of album cover art. Gary was the go-to album designer for rock artists in the 1970s, and collaborated with Henry for many of his projects. A collection of Burden's album cover art debuted at the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center on August 10th as part of the park's 75th Birthday Celebration.

The exhibit features images of the music groups America and the Eagles taken during the early 1970s in the park. The exhibit features more than 30 prints, curated by Gary Burden in partnership with Joshua Tree National Park and the printing help of Artisan Colour. Some of the prints, like the Eagles album cover, were printed on at a grand 4'x4' size.

Here are some of Gary's thoughts on why the park is so special and remains a source of inspiration to him.

I loved going into nature and found the desert to be a place of refuge. A place of great power and mystery. A place where there is, in fact, an abundance of life and beauty. A safe place. A place where you are tested and when you pass the test and survive you can rejoice and feel truly alive.



Later I brought other people here to Joshua Tree and shared what I knew and felt. The right ones got it and cherished it. They came back on their own to enjoy what the desert offers, again and again.



We are very fortunate to live in an area that has and protects our desert and makes it available to everyone. There is much to learn. Much beauty. Great peace and tranquility that will always improve our lot here on earth.

Thanks to the keepers of the special wild places, our National Park Service.

The exhibit is free to the public, and will be on display for the rest of 2011. The visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It was a pleasure to work with Gary Burden and 75th Anniversary Coordinator and Park Ranger "Extraordinaire", George Land.

Everyone is looking for a deal now a days. How about a little education and artistic enrichment too? Arizona State University professor, Betsy Schneider, will be giving a free talk on June 18th 6:30 pm at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Stage 2 located in the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts adjacent to the museum. She will be discussing her own work as well as those of photographer Harry Callahan. Much of Betsy's recent work explores themes of childhood, culture, and relationships. Harry also focused on loved ones as his subjects for his photography. Callahan's image scene here "Eleanor and Barbara Lake Michigan, 1953" is taken of his wife and daughter. His wife, Eleanor, was the subject of many of his images. SMoCA currently is running an exhibit of Callahan's work along with the work of Aaron Siskind and Fredrick Sommer (who lived in Prescott, Arizona) entitled At the Crossroads of American Photography: Callahan, Siskind, Sommer. The exhibit of 151 photographs has been extended to August 9, 2009.

SMoCA is also holding a series of free events every Thursday night during the summer. For more information about Betsy Schneider's talk or SMoCA's other events check out their website.