Coachella Magazine Vol. 1 No. 3

COACHELLA M A G A Z I N E

leonard KNIGHT sarah elise ABRAMSON adam enrique RODRIGUEZ atira ARIFFIN venus and the TRAPS

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FALL 2015 / WINTER 2016

THE

GLAM HOUSE

GOODFEW WWW.GOODFEWFAMILY.COM

COACHELLA M A G A Z I N E PUBLISHER/ EDITOR IN CHIEF JORGE E PEREZCHICA ASSISTANT EDITOR KRISTIN WINTERS ASSOCIATE EDITOR SARA HYLAND VP MARKETING JERRY PEREZCHICA CREATIVE DIRECTOR LUNAFORA ART DIRECTOR KRISTIN WINTERS WRITERS KRISTIN WINTERS JORGE PEREZCHICA SARA HYLAND MASTHEAD PHOTOGRAPHY BRIANNA PARRA

ON THE COVER Taylor Ann Trad & Charlene Robbins photography Tom Fowler styling Jessica Gotelli hair LISA MORENO mua BROOKLYN LEONARD clothes from The Fine Art of Design jewelry from Penny Lane BOUTIQUE bag from Soukie Modern location GLAM HOUSE Oranj Palm VACATION HOMES

©2015 Coachella Magazine Celebrating the Arts & Culture of Coachella Valley, California For all inquiries: info@coachellamagazine.com

COACHELLAMAGAZINE.COM

TIENDIQUE.COM

CONT E NTS

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FALL 2015 / WINTER 2016

DEPARTMENTS 15 16 26 28 32 38 40 42 44 46

editor’s LETTER haute spot aesthetic individual CHRONICLE CHELLA GIRL CHELLA GUY BUZZ COLLAB PROFILE

FEATURES ART 48 56 64 72 78

LEONARD KNIGHT ADAM ENRIQUE RODRIGUEZ SARAH ELISE ABRAMSON ATIRA ARIFFIN DESERT POETS

MUSIC 86 VENUS AND THE TRAPS FILM 92 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL SHORT FEST & FILM INDUSTRY FASHION 102 THE GLAM HOUSE CULTURE 114 BHAKTI FEST 116 BOOKS 118 FOOD+DRINK

APPENDIX 122 CALENDAR 124 INDEX 126 CODA VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3

Coachella Magazine is published quarterly by the wondering factory, printed in the usa

TIENDIQUE.COM

photo by Ben Moon

CONTRI BU TORS

AARON HUEY

CRYSTAL HARRELL

TOM FOWLER

photographer

photographer

JESSICA GOTELLI

journalist

A National Geographic Photographer.

A Harper’s Magazine Contributing Editor.

A Stanford d.School Ambassador.

A Wearer of Gold Shoes.

A Climber of Rocks.

A Father.

A Husband.

An Artist.

Is a college student actively pursuing a degree in journalism.

Crystal loves to express herself through writing and was excited to contribute an article about Salvation Mountain for this issue of Coachella Magazine. “Leonard Knight's story is one truly worth telling and it was a pleasure to interview those who knew the artist personally.”

Portrait photographer Tom Fowler hails from Palm Springs, CA. He photographed the vintage fashion shoot The Glam House.

Tom also shot editorial portraits for Roberto Madera and Lauren Segala, and the new sections Aesthetic and Individual.

Jessica Gotelli is a personal stylist and a recent graduate from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Music. Jessica is following all of her creative paths: music is her passion, fashion is her obsession.

A styling career has opened many doors for a future career. Jessica styled all the fashion looks seen here in the fall/winter issue.

fashion stylist

MICHELLE CASTILLO

ENOCH WATERS

CHRIS GRANILLO

BRIANNA PARRA

ASHLEY JENNERS

Jayson Phillips

poet/teacher

photographer

artist

photographer

artist/writer

photographer

DENISSE MARTINEZ

GEORGE DUCHANES

BROOKLYN LEONARD

LISA MORENO

CHLOE VELASQUEZ

MONICA VELASQUEZ

artist/illustrator

photographer

makeup artist

hair stylist

hair stylist

makeup artist

SPECIAL THANKS

DIGITAL EDITION

VOX DESERTO by TAYLOR LAUGLIN and RACHEL PAULUMBO

CoachellaMagazine.com/vox-deserto

A short poetic film that takes place at the Coachella Valley Wildlife Preserve.

The palm leaves fade from green to gold, reiterating the theme of change.

GYPSAN clothes / LOVE+LEATHER jewelry / THE VINAGE TREE dreamcatchers / LILAC PR

Oranj Palm Vacation Homes Eureka! Indian Wells The Fine Art of Design Roberto Madera Salon J. Russell! The Salon Soukie Modern Nous Models Nandina Organics Candice Held The Frippery Flow Modern Epidemic Skateboard Shop Penny Lane Boutique Cinémas Palm d’Or Raices Cultura Palm Springs Art Museum Crisálida Arts Project McCallum Theater Coachella Valley Art Center The Coachella Valley Art Scene Leah Juarez Tina Rainer Taylor Ann Trad Charlene Robbins

ed itor’s LETTER

modus

operandi noun: a particular way or method of doing something, especially one that is characteristic or well-established.

— Oxford Dictionary From my experience with collaborating and interviewing artists over the years, I’ve learned one chief lesson: artists are a peculiar and passionate bunch — it’s true. Throughout history, artists have been called everything from madmen to geniuses and everything in-between.

So, what drives artists to create? What feeds the creative hunger?

What satiates their desire? What makes one artist different than the next? What propels them to do the things they do? While some will give up or be deterred, others will find a way to keep going, tenaciously overcoming obstacles until their visions manifest into reality. The world is a richer, more meaningful place because of their creations. Take a walk into a museum, a gallery, or pass through local neighborhoods to find murals painted across city walls. Search the internet, flip though social media — artists of every kind fill the world with wonder for our senses to take in and marvel. It can be information overload, as art show us, imagination is as infinite as the universe itself. The language of art continues to evolve from one generation to the next: from markings in primitive caves, to the ancient pyramids, to masterpieces painted on canvas, to modern day monuments, to ubiquitous selfies we carry on our gadgets. The way an artist sees and experiences the world equally affects their approach to the creative process. The legacy that artists leave behind are the fingerprints of history — with no two alike.

In Vol. 1, Issue No. 3, we discover Modus Operandi from Leonard Knight’s singular vision of Salvation Mountain, to Adam Enrique Rodriguez’s myriad of painted faces, to Sarah Elise Abramson’s otherworldly photography. Alyce Tzue’s imagination “Soar”s in her award-winning film, and Michelle Castillo’s la vie de Bohème desert poetry comes alive on the page. Finally, vintage inspired fashion illuminates The Glam House. We are pleased to present and hope you enjoy our Modus Operandi issue.

— Jorge Perezchica Publisher / Editor in Chief

Haute Spot Fashion

TRINA TURK TRINATURK.COM

Drawing inspiration from the melting pot of the Golden State, Trina Turk uses her bold signature patterns to create a modern, vibrant aesthetic. The women’s contemporary clothing line has emerged as an exemplary lifestyle brand. Backed by a proven philosophy to create wearable, optimistic fashion that incorporates the best aspects of classic American sportswear, Trina Turk has expanded into a must-have national brand stretching from the landscape of downtown Palm Springs to the celebrity-sprinkled pavement of Manhattan.

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Haute Spot Fashion

KETZALI KETZALI.COM

Handcrafted / Down-to-Earth / Eco-Friendly Ketzali, created by Guatemalan designer Maya Colop-Morales, is a fair trade, eco-friendly accessories company that produces hand-woven scarves, ponchos, and tote bags using traditional Guatemalan methods. Ketzali is not only recognized for its international social responsibility, but for its colorful pieces that show a fresh balance between cultural details and the ease of urban lifestyles.

Ketzali’s mission is to create timeless, high-quality products for the modern, socially conscious generation. They work hand-in-hand with artisans to gain contemporary skills while upholding Guatemalan traditions.

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GYPSAN Qui uta nates dicatiamus arciisc itatem quae as estinihitet odit et et aut vollupta aliberiae modi doloreris ipictum estiata apit aliqui ulliquunt ex es delisiti blam, verumquideri omnime

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Haute Spot

photo by Gabriel Enamorado

Accessories

SOUKIE MODERN SOUKIEMODERN.COM

Founders Taib Lotfi of Morocco and Kenya Knight of California have collaborated to create a one-of-a-kind hybrid in Soukie Modern. The results are a brilliant rainbow of textile patterns and bold colors, from bags to rugs to wedding blankets.

CANDICE HELD CANDICEHELD.COM

The silk scarf is back, and we are in love. The natural setting of Palm Springs' desert provides the perfect inspiration for Candice Held's vibrantly colored original prints for her scarves, dresses, and tunics.

SWIM LIKE A MERMAID SWIMLIKEAMERMAID.COM

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Every girl has dreamed of being a mermaid once in her life, and now she can with Swim Like Mermaid swimwear. Leaving the solid colors of Ariel behind, these swimsuits offer colorful options with floral prints in a variety of styles for any trendsetter under the sea.

In addition, their Save the Mermaids campaign to reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans will make anyone feel good about their purchase.

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Haute Spot Accessories

LOVE+ LEATHER LOVEANDLEATHER.COM

Love + Leather founder Renee Tobias is a self-taught jewelry designer with a passion for creating bold, unique pieces for anyone who wants to stand out from the crowd. The line symbolizes her vision: fashion-forward pieces that fuse rock n’ roll with a little Boho Chic.

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Haute Spot Essentials

AVEDA

elpaseoexperiencecenter.com

Aveda is a professional hair and skin care brand that uses plant-based ingredients that are clinically proven to perform. Aveda products are not only great for your hair and skin, but are also kind to the Earth. Your Aveda El Paseo store offers a completely stressfree way to shop or simply unwind.

NANDINA ORGANICS nandinagreen.com

CRYSTAL FANTASY crystalfantasy.com

Crystal Fantasy has been Palm Springs’ go-to place for crystals, incense, and all things spiritual on the downtown strip for over 25 years. You can find beautiful crystals, gems, and minerals from all over the world, and their handmade jewelry and sculptures are perfect for enlightening any home or work environment.Â

Nandina Organics creates luxurious bath towels and bathrobes made from organic and sustainable bamboo and cotton. The feel of their thick textiles are soft, silky, and truly refreshing after a shower or day at the pool.

Nandina is an innovative company created by people who are committed to protecting and ultimately preserving our environment.

SHAG

shag.com

Josh Agle aka Shag is an artist who captures the iconic lifestyle and fantasy of Palm Springs with his signature retro-stylized prints and paintings. The gallery and retail store is located in the Palm Springs Design District, offering original art as well as books and other quirky merchandise. A party scene print or tiki lamp is all you need to transform your home into a Shag-A-Delic pad!

"The Girl from Coachella"

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FLOW MODERN FLOWMODERN.COM

FINE JEWELRY / 20TH CENTURY DECORATIVE ARTS 768 N Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262

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Aesthetic

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SHAPE / COLOR / FORM

ROBERTO MADERA SALON 73-300 El Paseo Suite C Palm Desert, CA 92260 photography TOM FOWLER stylist JESSICA GOTELLI hair LISA MORENO mua BROOKLYN LEONARD models TINA RAINER & LEAH JUAREZ jewelry SUNSCOPE PENDANT

by CANDICE HELD COACHELLA MAGAZINE 27

Individual

CANDICE HELD dress

PENNY LANE BOUTIQUE clothes & jewelry

hometown: La Quinta

hometown: Obregón, Senora, Mexico

currently listening to: Odesza, Flume, Louis the Child

currently listening to: Eluveitie

fashion style: laid back comfy with a pop of glitter

fashion style: old school, classic, like velvet dark colors

plans for this year: make money and end the year with

what inspires you: my family and my dogs

Snowglobe 2015

favorite quote: “La pulga sobre el perro cree que es ella

favorite quote: “Get it!”

quien va rapido.”

occupation: bartender

@alejandraguiragossian_

@treelexus

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CHARACTER / ST YLE / IMAGE

DAYDREAMER muscle tank PENNY LANE BOUTIQUE denim shorts

POLER shirt BRIXTOX jeans from EPIDEMIC SKATEBOARD SHOP

hometown: Coachella Valley

hometown: Cathedral City

pet: turtle named Ninja

currently listening to: Kings of Leon

interests: hiking, rock climbing & sightseeing

what inspires you: my father

fashion style: street with a touch of comfy

favorite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make

favorite quote: “No dream is too big, no dreamer is too small.”

a life by what we give.”

occupation: pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Cardiac

occupation: real estate

Sonography

next on bucket list: trip to Thailand

@mary_moo_cow

j. russell! the salon photography TOM FOWLER styling JESSICA GOTELLI

hair CHLOE TOMALAK mua MONICA VELASQUEZ

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CHR ON I CL E

JIRAFA SINGH

BOHEMIAN CAFÉ A local reading series curated by local poet/teacher Michelle Castillo, featuring writers in various literary genres. Bohemian Café is part of the W.O.W. program at Coachella Valley Art Center in Indio, California.

MIJA

DANI MEZA

DJing at Splash House Palm Springs, CA

Photo by Jose Negrete courtesy of Goldenvoice Media

Studio recording sessions Indio, CA

the SAGUARO Palm Springs, CA

SPLASH HOUSE pool+music festival JUNE/AUGUST 2015 editions.

JUNE 2015 / 21st Annual Palm Springs Intl. Short Film Festival & Film Market

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JULY 2015 / 2nd Annual Palm Trees & Tattoos Convention

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PEOPLE / PLACE S / CONNECTED

Alyce Tzue

21st annual Palm Springs Intl. ShortFest

Best Student Animation Winner Alyce Tzue, writer/director of SOAR speaks at the Q&A following the screening.

MIKE SELSKY (right) demonstates sun prints at the Summer School art workshop presented by School Night and Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs, CA.

JUSTIN BURNOUT

8th Annual DESERT STARS FESTIVAL Zodiac Death Valley live performance at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown, CA

8th annual DESERT STARS FESTIVAL (formerly The Yip Yops) Performing live at the 111 muic Festival.

The 2nd Annual Palm Trees and Tattoos Convention at the Hard Rock Hotel in Palm Springs, CA with SullenTV host Bernadette Macias.

ARTURO CASTELLANOS was among several poets who read to Juan Felipe Herrera, the first US Latino poet laureate, via Skype presentation.

Moderated by David Gonzalez, artistic director of Crisalida, a community arts project of the McCallum Theater.

KIM and the CREATED

Whimsical artwork printed on a wide range of products from skate decks, .

Hosted by Coachella Valley Art Center, Indio, CA

AUGUST 2015 / Splash House pool+music festival

●

SEPTEMBER 2015 / 8th Annual Desert Stars Festival

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CHR ON I CL E

SOFIA ENRIQUEZ

“Alive as flowers, dead as the chair.”

CIVX live at the Date Farmers Halloween show.

Giant calavera unveiled at the 10th annual Día de los Muertos.

VENUS and the TRAPS

Live performance at SYNERGY FEST — Coachella, CA.

RAICES CULTURA 10th annual DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS altars adorn the Historic Pueblo Viejo District of Coachella, CA.

RonKat Spearman's

KYLIE KNIGHT

Lead singer of GREASETRAP performs live at a desert punk show.

Red Barn, Palm Desert, CA OCTOBER 2015 / Raices Cultura 10th Annual Día de los Muertos

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Juxtaposition Photographic Arts

KATDELIC live at the 11th Annual Fall JOSHUA TREE MUSIC FEST

PEOPLE / PLACE S / CONNECTED

IIIZ (formerly The Yip Yops) perform live at the 111 Music Festival.

Local bands, DJs and poets performed on buses traveling along Hwy 111 from Palm Springs to Indio, CA. Music curated by the Coachella Valley Art Scene.

BRYAN CRANSTON

PHILLIP K SMITH III unveils his sculpture Eroded Column, 2014 — in the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden

ADAM ENRIQUE RODRIGUEZ Live painting at Street, an interactive art, music and fashion event held at the parking rooftop of Westfield, Palm Desert. Curated by the Coachella Valley Art Scene.

Live Q&A with TRUMBO star Bryan Cranston and director Jay Roach, moderated by Steve Chase, following the screening at Cinémas Palme d’Or.

GREATER PALM SPRINGS PRIDE

29th annual Parade + Festival, downtown, Palm Springs, CA NOVEMBER 2015 / Phillip K Smith III unveils new sculpture “Eroded Column” at Palm Springs Museum in Palm Desert

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AVAILABLE AT DREAM WRKER.COM an d INK MASTERS, CATHEDRAL C IT Y, CA

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C HEL L A G IRL

sugarFREE text ASHLEY JENNERS photography GEORGE DUCHANNES Born and raised in Indio, California, Noemi Rodriguez, aka DJ Sugarfree, radiates creativity through her unique style and appearance. Originally a nickname because of her diabetes diagnosis, “Sugarfree” followed Rodriguez into her music career from 2007 to the present with the production of her own sounds and tracks. “When I was 17, my mom passed away,” Sugarfree reflects. “I was very close to her, so life after that was very hard.

I felt very lost in life, but music helped me cope with my loss. I remember I had Interpol’s album Turn On the Bright Lights on repeat for several weeks after her death. It’s a great album that I’ll always love. Three years later, I found my calling. I’m not sure what would’ve [become] of me without music, really. I’ve always been kind of shy and antisocial, but DJing has helped me in many ways throughout my life, including becoming less of that.” Being strong through the grief and allowing music to fill the void has brought Sugarfree to a better place.

chill out, relax and enjoy the sounds of the waves crashing down on the beach’s shore. Silence and the breeze passing through her hair has a way of inspiring Sugarfree to create unique beats in her mind.

Calling her own personality “random and moody,” Sugarfree shuffles a multitude of emotions through her set list. “The songs are a bit random, like me,” she admits. I will play two completely different songs next to each other and mix them into one song that blends together.” Sugarfree attributes Tove Lo’s “Habits” as a good song that not only fits the mainstream mold but also gets the audience pumped. As the music is bumping and the crowd pulls in, having a good time on the dance floor, smiling, grooving, and singing along with the music of her choice — it inspires Sugarfree to start singing along as well. Her goal is to wipe all your worries away and find a great escape through the enjoyment of music. Sugarfree is living the dream of mixing her own choice of EDM; the selection of sets include electro house, trance, techno, pop, and hip-hop.

Although the Coachella Valley is a common running ground, Sugarfree has played gigs in various cities like Victorville and Corona, and her most memorable experience is performing in New Mexico. “I’ve been recognized for my talent of mixing music and that means a lot to me,” Sugarfree confesses. “As a DJ, you get to learn more about how the music business works, how to read a crowd, and you overcome being timid, if you ever were.”

But don’t think Sugarfree is listening exclusively to the sounds blasting out of speakers. In her spare time, Sugarfree likes to

As a producer Sugarfree channels her inspiration through the moniker “Twelfth Moon,” calling her original, dance frenzy of electronic swirls and rhythm “LoveLess.” Her top priority is enhancing the instrumental sounds of her own creation, which stems from an interest in the technique of sound design.

Sugarfree incorporates sounds that she likes to create remixes of her own songs, produce tech house and trance songs, and advance in the realm of progressive house music. More than anything, Sugarfree is focused on the all-encompassing sound of her own music, refusing to be pigeonholed or adhering to any particular genre.

Sugarfree has set ambitious goals for the future that include playing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. However, she still looks forward to playing small raves, insisting it’s a more personal experience DJing amongst close-knit locals compared to massive crowds. Sugarfree’s go-to hotspot for DJing is Bart Lounge, the hybrid bar and art gallery of the Coachella Valley.

You’ll catch her there laying down some tunes on Open DJ Night. web soundcloud.com/djsugarfree1986

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ROW LOW APRIL, 2015 / RANCHO MIRAGE, CA 40 COACHELLA PHOTO

by TOMMAGAZINE FOWLER

CHEL L A GUY

joshua ADAMS text KRISTIN WINTERS photography ENOCH WATERS If this long-haired fellow looks familiar, you’ve probably seen him play drums at just about every venue in the Desert – often appearing in multiple sets with two or three different bands a night! It’s Joshua Adams, a favorite drummer and party crasher in the Coachella Valley music scene. He brings his smile, enthusiasm, and high energy into the room, turning casual conversations into a laugh riot with his lightening-quick wit. Offstage, he’ll speedily talk of his love for the 80s band DEVO, his beloved dog Moonpie, and happenings at the La Quinta Coffee Shop – all within the same sentence, exuding his signature charm.

After moving continuously across the country as a child, Josh has settled in the La Quinta Cove for the past fifteen years. He exclaims, “I love it here! I want to stay, probably forever.” In the past, he never stayed in one school for long and didn’t make any childhood friends. “I’d eat weird stuff in front of people, played with bugs, and wore weird outfits. I never found a niche.”

Despite this, he graduated high school early through home studies at fifteen years old. “I said, ‘Mom, I don’t want to go to school anymore, I want to be in a rock n’ roll band.’ By that time I’d already put out four records, so I was like: ‘Fuck these guys!’”

Josh began playing drums at the tender age of nine, when he first met his longtime friends and fellow Fever Dog bandmates, Daniel Graham and Nathan Wood in an Apple Valley elementary school. When Daniel and Nathan mentioned starting a band, Josh boldly proclaimed, “Hey guys, I’m a really great drummer!”

He sheepishly admits that he fibbed and was surprised when he arrived at Daniel’s house later for a sleepover to see a full set of instruments and equipment set up in the garage. After that night the band clicked, Fever Dog was born, “And I've been faking it ever since!” Josh laughs.

From there, Josh moved to the Coachella Valley and became involved in the Desert art and music scene. He met Kylie Knight, lead singer of Greasetrap, at a Valley punk show. “I first saw Greasetrap play at the Epidemic skate shop on top

of a half-pipe. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I want to be in that band.’” Soon after, when Kylie called him and said they were looking for a drummer, Josh leaped at the chance. They recorded two songs that night, and Josh became Greasetrap's new drummer, bringing a serious rock edge to the band's psych/ punk sound.

Later, Josh met talented local guitarist Luciano Avalos-Juarez after a Fever Dog performance at The Hood Bar and Pizza.

The pair became best friends and teamed up to create Active Kissers. “The dude is closer to me than any family, musically it’s very natural. Whenever we're playing together we know exactly where it’s going to go. It’s super easy.” Active Kissers continues to play throughout the Desert as a power force of seamless rock n’ roll from two young, accomplished Coachella Valley musicians.

In addition to his involvement in several bands, Josh gained recognition through his solo recording project known as Blue Diamond with his released album It’s a Puppy’s World.

Blue Diamond demonstrates Josh’s abilities as a recorder and producer. The album has a space-age dreamscape feel: psychedelic jazz riffs melting together with synth grooves and enigmatic sound effects. “I wanted to make something that sounded wrong, like it wasn’t supposed to be that way. I love when you put on a record, you enter this weird environment.

I felt like I could make a really awesome space that you’d want to hang out in.” He achieved this using old tape machines, “any synth I could get my hands on,” guitars plugged into stereos, and other “weird methods.” When pushed further, he could only smile. He wasn’t going to give away all his secrets.

Fever Dog recently returned from their successful three-week overseas tour, playing across Western and Eastern Europe alongside Desert rock legends Fatso Jetson. Josh is home and back in action, playing shows, and collaborating with several Valley musicians for upcoming projects. web bluediamond.bandcamp.com

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BUZZ

kime BUZZELLI THE END YUCCA VALLEY text KRISTIN WINTERS photography ENOCH WATERS

The incredible Kime Buzzelli is a creative tour de force. An accomplished artist, stylist, and costume designer, she is also the owner of Yucca Valley’s hidden gem for vintage clothing, The End. In this beautifully curated boutique you can find one-ofa-kind vintage designer clothing and jewelry, from swingin’ 60s mod dresses to rugged hand-stitched cowboy boots. The interior is decorated with colorful artwork by Kime herself, elaborate macramé weavings, unique textiles, and well-loved books. The End mirrors the wild, carefree spirit of the Desert itself. The building’s whimsical, pastel geometric, painted exterior and cheerful aura attract wayward travelers and old friends alike.

What is the origin story behind The End? How did your vision for the boutique become a reality?

I have always loved pieces that are handmade and tell a unique story. My vision was to create a desert space where artists and designers and creative people could meet up and share ideas. I wanted to connect all of the magical people I had met here with each other (so many cool and creative locals!). There are so many amazing tourists and travelers who pass through our town and listening to all of their stories makes it seem as if we are also on a fabulous journey. I decided to name it The End because often times the story continues or begins again when someone buys something and it goes to a new home.

turquoise from the 60s and ocean jasper set into Mystical Eye rings! Marcella Kroll created her own oracle tarot deck that we sell. Adina Mills makes jewelry that seems to have dropped from Planet Awesome – her giant chunk crystal rings and necklaces have a powerful artistic energy.

Can you describe your personal fashion style?

If I had to describe my personal fashion style I would say colorful, mismatched patterns, “fired art teacher” style. I love African textiles and strange appliqué. I definitely have a jacket obsession.

I like wearing clothes that make me feel happy.

Why did you relocate to Joshua Tree?

I have always been drawn to the desert. I started coming out this way with friends and would always notice how happy and lifted I felt after a visit. I love open space as an artist and love living without so many distractions. I was tired of the city life and chaos and wanted some peace. This place has connected me to so many kind and creative people. There is a timeless quality; the landscape makes you to walk around and explore.

Where do you find the vintage clothes, jewelry, and artwork? What qualities do you look for in the store?

I find most of the vintage and designer clothes by traveling, meeting interesting people, as well as working as a stylist all these years. I have always admired vintage clothing as a stylist/costume designer for tv and magazines. I am more fascinated and excited by old treasures and one-of-a-kind handmade pieces than new things. I try to stock the shop with things that stand out, the item that will trick out a normal outfit, the necklace that will have people coming up to you wanting to touch it. I love things that look cherished and coveted.

Who are the local designers and artists you display in the store?

I love all of the local designers and artists we carry at the shop.

Sierra Keylin, who also works at the shop, creates incredible artisan cast jewelry utilizing vintage stones she collects:

THE END / desert shop for dreamers & drifters 55872 29 PALMS HIGHWAY, YUCCA VALLEY, CA THEENDYUCCAVALLEY.TUMBLR.COM

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CO LLA B

roberto MADERA HAIR & SPA SALON

text JORGE PEREZCHICA photography TOM FOWLER Roberto Madera, co-owner of Roberto Madera Salon, was born in Mexico and raised in the Coachella Valley. As a young college student, Madera majored in psychology and took a front desk job at a local salon, which led to his introduction into the world of cosmetology. “I fell in love with it right away,” Madera recalls.

“I always had an interest in people and in hair.” His passion for hair eventually took priority, so he quit his job and enrolled in cosmetology school. A year and half later, Madera earned a degree at only twenty years old – but his ambition to learn didn't stop there. “Every summer I would travel to Europe and Asia to get inspiration,” says Madera. “It took time for me to embrace it.”

His first stylist job was a position at Jose Eber Atelier that lasted three years, followed by Loran Loran for another three years.

After just six years of working experience, Madera’s career reached a major turning point – a decision that would change his life forever: “It was either moving to Europe, or opening a salon,” Madera explains. "I was going to work as a stylist, I got a job offer.” Instead, Madera chose to take a giant leap forward into the world of entrepreneurship and opened his own salon with co-owner Isreal. When asked how he felt at the time he first opened for business at the El Paseo location, Madera replied with one word: “Confident.” Now Roberto Madera Salon has been operating for eight years and Madera hopes to expand to other locations across the globe. Madera’s checklist for success includes: maintain balance, fitness, meditation, learn to breathe, and spend time with family and friends. “Psychology has given me an open mind,” Madera credits. So, it’s not surprising to walk into the salon and be welcomed by his signature smile that puts anyone at ease. The decor is equally chic and inviting. Guests are greeted with a glass of water and tables replete with books and magazines from leading fashion publications. Look up at the walls and you will find a proverb that reads, “Il bello il vero — Beautiful is what is true.”

Still, Madera does not do everything alone; he has an extensively talented team of creatives who he earnestly compares to family.

“We care for one another, we’re brothers and sisters — it’s a privilege.” Terra Lane, lead colorist/stylist, has been in the cosmetology business since she was 16 years old and at the salon for eight years.

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Lisa Monique Moreno is artistic director, stylist, colorist, and make-up artist. Lisa moved to the Coachella Valley from Los Angeles because she found it “too fast paced and too hectic.

I wanted to focus on my career. I told myself, if I could work anywhere in the Desert it would be this salon. And when I called, [Madera] said, ‘Yeah, come in, grab a chair,’ and I started working the next day.” She has been doing hair and make-up since she was 18 years old. “I’m an artist at heart. Since I was a little girl, I was always drawing and painting. I really have a passion to make things beautiful — I’m a perfectionist.” Lisa still travels to Los Angeles on weekends to visit friends, attend fashion shows, and help out on photoshoots, but the Desert makes her feel more grounded. “I wanted to be around a different type of energy the Desert brings.” Lisa enjoys working at Roberto Madera Salon because, “He’s so humble, he’s always happy.”

Lucy was recommended to Roberto Madera Salon by her cosmetology teacher upon finishing school. Lucy has worked as an assistant at Roberto Madera Salon for two years and is excited to become a stylist in January 2016.

Anna has been a nail care specialist for eighteen years and joined Roberto Madera Salon two years ago. “Most of my clients, we talk about everything, we are like family. They’ve been with me for eighteen years.”

In addition to their primary services that range from hair care, skin care, and nail care, Roberto Madera Salon offers monthly workshops and makes time to actively support local events such as Fashion Week El Paseo, non-profit organizations, and Country Club trunk shows for leading designer brands including Roberto Cavali, Oscar De La Renta and Dolce and Gabanna, raises money to help local students with college tuition.

Looking back on his career, Madera says, “I wouldn’t change anything — everything happens for a reason.” His advice for budding entrepreneurs? “Fall in love and be passionate about what you do as a career. Trust what you do, and give it onehundred percent.”

ROBERTO MADERA SALON 73-300 El Paseo Suite C, Palm Desert, CA 92260

“

Fall in love and be passionate about what you do as a career. Trust what you do, and give it ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT.

”

— Roberto Madera

PR OFI LE

lauren SEGALA PENNY LANE BOUTIQUE text JORGE PEREZCHICA photography TOM FOWLER Penny Lane Boutique is a unique, independently owned establishment on a street sprinkled with brand names. It is a true El Paseo jewel, founded by fashion duo Lauren Segala and her mother. “There was a point in my life that I knew this is what I wanted to do,” the younger Segala expresses. “I always wanted to own my own store.” The Segalas, originally from Los Angeles, own a home in the Coachella Valley and chose to open their shop here because “in LA, it’s more like a dime a dozen,” she decided.

most people.” Overall, Penny Lane Boutique carries affordable clothes, accessories, and home decor. “I’m always inspired by past eras such as the 60s and 70s,” Segala explains. “I’m really inspired by free spirits.” She is a true fashionista who stays on top of the latest trends. “I’m always looking at magazines and what’s out there.” In her spare time, she enjoys creating macramé custom pieces on t-shirts and denim, and offers workshops during the holidays.

Before she founded Penny Lane, Segala went to school for hair and makeup and got her start as a makeup artist. “I’m obsessed with makeup,” she confesses. “It reminds me to be creative in a different way.” In the span of seven years, Segala applied her creative skills towards weddings and editorials for magazines, then worked in retail at Trio in Palm Desert for five years. “I’ve always loved beauty and fashion,” Segala emphasizes. To realize her dream of owning a shop, she combined her passions and became business partners with her mother. “Once we really got serious about it, it went fast,” Segala says. “We like to get things done. When we found this, we saw the shop we really wanted.”

After three years in the business, Segala acknowledges balancing art and commerce as the most challenging, “I don’t think there’s anything that can prepare you one-hundred percent,” she admits. “It’s not easy to own your own business, it’s hard. You have to be really dedicated.” Segala credits her grandfather as a source of motivation. “My grandfather started from the bottom sweeping floors… he ended up being co-owner of the company.

For me, that instilled a hard work ethic.” From experience, she has become more comfortable and gained more confidence.

“When a customer comes in and buys a piece, even if it’s the least expensive piece — and they’re happy with it — that’s what motivates me,” Segala says. “When I see someone post a photo wearing something from our store, that makes me feel so happy.

I really feel I can do this forever. I hope I can inspire other women to follow their dreams.”

At heart, Penny Lane is an ode to Segala’s grandmother, Neva J Riggs. “I wanted to incorporate something about her into the store,” Segala says. “That was our favorite pastime — lunch and shop.” As a child, she remembers her grandmother would always say, “When you’re too tired to shop, sit down and try on shoes.” As a testament, Segala admits, “I probably have a hundred pairs of shoes.” The name Penny Lane was chosen on account of several fond memories: her grandmother’s dog was named Penny, Segala is a big fan of the movie “Almost Famous,” as well as a noteworthy Beatles fan. “[Penny Lane] came pretty quickly once we said it out loud — we knew that was it.”

Ever since the opening, Penny Lane Boutique continues to evolve based on the customer’s lifestyle. “When Penny Lane first opened, the majority of the shop was vintage, now the majority is new,” Segala reveals. “I’m trying to pick things that will flatter

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Penny Lane is: for the Flower Child the Gypsies the Old Souls the Ramblers the Rebels the Trailblazers the Young at Heart and the Wild Ones 73290 EL PASEO, STE 1, PALM DESERT, CA, 92260 web PENNYLANE-BOUTIQUE.COM

ART

leonard KNIGHT SALVATION MOUNTAIN text CRYSTAL HARRELL photography AARON HUEY

(1931–2014)

S

alvation Mountain: A Beacon of Love in the Desert.

The barren slopes of Imperial County’s desert plains can leave very little to the imagination. The typical frame of reference for the land east of the Salton Sea is a seemingly endless stretch of sand, rock, and expired plant life suffocating underneath a blanket of sweltering heat. Miles of arduous territory seldom explored by human feet can leave a lone traveler thirsting for more than just water — some form of gratification or surprise, perhaps? Hours of trekking lead to wondering if the splash of color up ahead is merely a mirage. There’s a mountain in the distance, which isn’t unusual for this kind of environment, but the hues of red, green, blue, and yellow covering it strike a loud chord of disharmony around the neighboring desert. Upon closer inspection, you notice the painted designs of nature and Biblical scripture embedded on the rock, culminating into large text reading “GOD IS LOVE” towards the top of the mass. You have reached Salvation Mountain.

Behind every piece of art is a creator who made it come to life with a purpose, and Leonard Knight was no exception. Although he passed in February of 2014 at the age of 80, Knight left behind a legacy with Salvation Mountain — a colorful testament that promotes love and hope for future harmony among people. It was always his intention to spread word of God’s unwavering mercy and acceptance, but the effort would prove to be more difficult than anticipated, as Salvation Mountain’s origins span about 40 years in the making.

Leonard Knight lived a quaint existence in his childhood home of Vermont until a trip to San Diego to visit his sister completely changed his outlook on life. The year was 1967 and Knight, 35 years old at the time, had found himself repeating the Sinner’s Prayer by himself: “Jesus, I’m a sinner, please come upon my body and into my heart.” It was then that Knight had a new undying faith overcome his heart and he was determined to spread this newfound passion to the world somehow. One day he came across a hot air balloon in the sky with words printed on its side. Knight thought it was the perfect way to show the Sinner’s Prayer to others around the world. There were many failed attempts at making his own hot air balloon; Knight bought all of his materials with money earned through various odd jobs and stitching the fabric with a sewing machine given to him from a friend. The project soon became too overwhelming to handle and had no success getting off the ground. After 14 years, Knight decided to put his efforts to a halt.

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Feeling disappointed from the supposed failure, Knight wanted to leave a kind of symbol to represent all his efforts to promote God’s love. He used half a bag of cement to create a small monument, which eventually grew into a bigger monument, and in the course of four years it became a full-fledged mountain standing over 50 feet. The mountain ultimately fell apart because of the way it was constructed — made from old junk from the dump and sand covered with paint and cement.

Knight did not get discouraged, however, because he felt it was a sign from God telling him the mountain wasn’t safe and to try to build a better structure. Knight attempted to construct another mountain, more structurally sound than the last, using adobe mixed with straw and over 100,000 donated gallons of paint.

That second attempt later became the Salvation Mountain that stands to this day.

Leonard Knight’s Salvation Mountain quickly became known to the public eye and is now regarded as a highly unique piece of folk artwork. It was not without its share of controversy, however.

The mountain was prematurely labeled a “toxic nightmare” in 1994 when it was tested by a toxic waste specialist for supposedly high amounts of lead in the soil. This prompted the county to petition the state of California for funds to tear down the mountain and haul it away to a toxic waste disposal dumpsite in Nevada. The unwavering support of the community prevented this from happening, as they helped Knight collect soil samples from the very same holes as the expert had used and submitted them to an independent lab in San Diego. The results found that the soil contained no harmful toxins and Salvation Mountain remains to this day as a testament to enduring struggle through determination.

Throughout the years, the mountain has appeared in various newspapers, on television shows and films — including Sean Penn’s 2007 film Into the Wild and British band Hurts’s music video for their song “Somebody to Die For.” California Senator Barbara Boxer even deemed Salvation Mountain a national treasure in 2002, saying it is “a sculpture for the ages– profoundly strange and beautifully accessible, and worthy of the international acclaim it receives.”

Coachella Magazine had the opportunity to interview Dan Westfall, a good friend of Leonard Knight who is also president of Salvation Mountain, Inc. — an organization bent on maintaining Knight’s legacy through public interaction, artistic programs, and charitable relations.

Tell us what your first impression of Leonard Knight was.

His humility. He offered to give us a tour just because we showed up. And he asked if he could do it!

What was your relationship with him like?

We were good friends. I’m a holistic body worker with a private practice in San Diego; a caregiver by nature and profession.

By the summer of 2009, Leonard was 78 and no longer able to ignore the difficulties of living off the grid, especially in the heat.

I was very impressed with his ministry, but my initial reason for getting involved was humanitarian.

How long did you associate with Leonard?

From July 2009 until his death in the Eldorado Care Center in El Cajon on February 10, 2014.

How would you describe Leonard Knight in one word?

Commitment or dedication. If you gave me one more word, it would be loving. Lots of people are, fortunately, loving, but I’ve never met anyone nearly as determined to share that love and message as Leonard.

How would you describe Leonard’s artistic style?

There are many terms in the art world: Primitive, Outsider, etc. I think it’s just child-like. I once told him that if God had

a refrigerator, his mountain would be on it and God would be telling everyone, “Look what one of my kids did.” Leonard liked that.

Do you think Leonard would have ever anticipated Salvation Mountain becoming such a significant cultural landmark?

No. He was continually amazed at how much attention his mountain was getting.

Did you yourself think it would garner so much acclaim?

I always thought it deserved it, but I still find myself pleasantly surprised at how far some people have come to see it. I rarely spent a weekend there that I didn’t meet someone from at least three different continents.

Why are people so captivated to visit Salvation Mountain?

Mostly simple curiosity, but I’ve seen lots of other reasons — some religious, some not.

How do you think Salvation Mountain appeals to visitors who may not have any religious inclinations?

Its uniqueness and the sheer magnitude of effort that took to build it. That still stuns people today even though Leonard is gone. It was even more astounding when you met this aging, humble man. No one has ever questioned his belief in his effort.

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LEONARD KNIGHT

How important do you think it is to have a piece of folk art like Salvation Mountain close to home in the Desert?

I think it’s a tremendous asset to Imperial County, an excellent day trip from LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, or Phoenix. We see, on average, over one thousand visitors a week from all walks of life and parts of the world. It’s a very interesting place to spend a day!

What do you see in the future of Salvation Mountain?

The goal of our non-profit, Salvation Mountain Inc., is simply to preserve Leonard’s life’s work and keep it free and accessible as long as possible. We have no plans to develop the site, but will continue to make people aware of it and hope they visit.

In your opinion, what does Salvation Mountain symbolize as a work of art?

Leonard wouldn’t let us call him an artist. He created the mountain as an attraction and curiosity. He simply wanted to get people to think about God’s love and become curious enough to ask questions. I’ve told many visitors that the mountain is the most obvious labor of love in the world. As important as the mountain is, I think that Leonard himself was the national treasure! He told us he wanted the mountain “to do the talkin’ for me.”

Coachella Valley-based photographer Christina Frary also had the opportunity to meet Leonard Knight and get an inside look at the artist’s perspective.

How would you describe Leonard Knight in one word?

He was charismatic. We arrived in 125-degree heat in the middle of the summer of 2009, and being the only three people out there that day, he spent time with us. He showed us around, spoke to us, told us about his vision, and why he did what he did. I am sure he had given the tour and told the story many, many times, but to us, he spoke as if he was talking about his art for the first time. He was warm, generous, sweet, and inviting.

Why do you think people are so captivated to come visit Salvation Mountain?

Because that mountain is the physical manifestation of someone’s true devotion to himself, his vision, his religion, and his art. He lived in pretty harsh living conditions to be true to his spirit and that vision. And also, it looks really amazing. Superficially speaking, it’s visually stunning.

Do you think Leonard Knight would have ever anticipated Salvation Mountain ever becoming a national treasure?

I think so. He was pretty proud of it, from what I gathered, and he wanted the world to see his mountain!

What do you see in the future of Salvation Mountain in terms of events or developments?

When we met him in 2009, I think not many people were trekking out to see him — not as many as now, at least. We always thought it would remain off the beaten path of tourist 54 COACHELLA MAGAZINE

destinations, so I am pleasantly surprised now to see so many people visiting it. I just photographed a wedding there! I think it will just become increasingly popular and the preservation of it might become more important than ever as more people begin to go there.

How important do you think it is to have a piece of folk art like Salvation Mountain close to home in the Desert?

I think definitely the location of Salvation Mountain is part of its appeal, and it makes it easier to preserve and manage as opposed to being in a busy city center. There is a real commitment people make when they drive out there to see it—that when you do see it for the first time, it becomes a true experience of its own.

In your opinion, what does Salvation Mountain symbolize as a work of art?

An artist’s devotion to his vision, his belief, his faith, and his art.

Do you feel Salvation Mountain appeals to visitors who may not have any religious inclinations?

I consider myself a spiritual person, but I am not Christian nor do I go to church. So yes! It certainly appealed to me to visit as one doesn’t have to be of the same faith to appreciate beautiful art. It only goes to show that a single idea can spiral into something far greater than words can express. Leonard Knight’s Salvation Mountain emanates a humbling aura to those who visit, and I myself felt a sense of power travel through the scope of the desert plains while standing amid the mountain. Perhaps it is the idea of a faithful inclination coming into fruition or a self-proposed prophecy coming to pass, but the neon gyres of Knight’s creation mark territory claimed in the name of a higher power found in the heart of all who wish to invite it in: love.

Award-winning photographer Aaron Huey had the opportunity to meet Leonard Knight, documenting the artist in his book, Where the Heaven Flowers Grow, beautifully summarizing the legacy created by a man with a dream.

“Salvation Mountain is a literal man-made mountain 28 years in the making, covered in half a million gallons of latex paint created by a man named Leonard Knight. It sits near the East Coast of the Salton Sea, near Niland, California on the edge of a bombing range and a squatter’s camp known as Slab City. What started as a small monument made of dirt and painted cement became, over time, a sprawling adobe and hay-bale mountain complex, with peripheral structures made of telephone poles, tires, and car windows, as well as art cars and sculptures, all painted in a patchwork of stripes and color blocks of whatever paint was donated that week.

I met Leonard eight years ago when he could still carry a 40-pound bucket of adobe up a 30-foot ladder, but when he was no longer able to carry an 80-pound bale of hay to the top of his man-made mountain. He was 75 years old.

Leonard Knight was one of those men who was so singular of vision that from a distance some would brush it off as crazy.

But it didn’t take much to realize what Leonard was. Just a conversation and you would know — this man was a saint, an American sadhu in the desert of southern California. The mountain was his living daily meditation.

The words he gifted to me in our time together transcended his specific faith and spoke to a universal love that is only understood by the most devout seekers in the world. I have no doubt that what he did was the equivalent to sitting beneath the Bodhi tree or in Muhammad’s cave, because I can tell you from my time with him that he was truly awake. And perfectly without doubt as to his purpose on this earth. As an artist he created something with no parallel or influence. When he died this year we lost one of the greatest folk artists that has ever lived.

I had never met a person so pure and so raw. I’d never met someone who dedicated his entire life to making one thing.

Leonard made one thing. Leonard had no belongings and lived in the back of a broken down fire truck covered in scripture.

He built, he ate, he gave tours, he bathed, and he slept. Nothing more. For 28 years he lived this way, the simple life of a visionary.

Leonard worked beyond our concept of time, slowly and methodically without ever wandering from his path. His sole purpose in this endeavor was to spread the message that “God is Love.” He shared this with everyone who came to the mountain,

giving personal tours to every single person who arrived during waking hours. Meeting Leonard made me want to throw away all of my things — my computers, my phone, my career, my ego — and help him build his mountain of mud and paint. Instead, I helped Leonard carry a dozen hay bales up the mountain and promised to come back again. I returned a dozen times over six years to help him build, to photograph his work, and to try to better understand his humble genius.

Photographing Leonard, like all the projects I have done that I care at all about, involved a lot of time not photographing.

I think that in any project that seeks to transcend superficial imagery, one has to give more than one takes. So I gave my labor and I promised Leonard I would share his work with as many people as I could. It’s all he really wanted when I left.

This collection of artifacts, surfaces, and photographs is just a small part of what was created by the artist and seeker who built Salvation Mountain.

I cannot conclude this statement in the past tense, as the eulogy of a man who was here, because Leonard lives on in his work and in the hearts of those he touched.” web SALVATIONMOUNTAIN.ORG book WHERE THE HEAVEN FLOWERS GROW: the life and art of leonard knight OUTSIDERBOOKS.COM

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adam enrique RODRIGUEZ text + photography LUNAFORA

“

the older i get, the more it becomes apparent, that the honest pursuit of art and the overall goal for every artist should be to inspire others and to work towards the betterment of all humankind and life on earth. — Adam Enrique Rodriguez

�

M

eet Adam Enrique Rodriguez, a rising young artist from Indio, CA. Rodriguez’s work explores various themes that provoke social commentary from money, to water, to sex, to politics, and peace. Lately, his myriad of painted faces has become his signature style featured on murals, fashion pins, custom bags, and more. There are noticeable influences in his work from Basquiat, Keith Haring, Picasso, to African art, but it’s undeniably Adam Enrique Rodriguez. At public events like the Joshua Tree Music Festival, Indian Wells Arts Festival, and The Coachella Valley Art Scene, he combines artistic mediums, interacts with passersby, and paints live. “It is a performance art,” Rodriguez says. “I’m dancing, I’m painting, I’m interacting.” On site, he often paints his own face, adding multiple eyes here and there and an extra mouth on the side of his cheek. This creates the illusion as if seeing three or more faces at once, bringing another dynamic to the performance. In person, he is equally compelling as the paintings he creates. He dons a Buddhist, art-punk hairdo, halfshaved up front and weaved into a long pony tail towards the back. He has a flair for bold, funky clothes that’s part street and part new-age yoga. Amongst the public, he greets strangers with a childlike quality and a friendly smile. Allow us to introduce Adam Enrique Rodriguez, in his own words.

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Photo courtesy of Adam Enrique Rodriguez

Can you tell us about yourself and background as an artist?

I am from Indio, California. I am the firstborn son [of] four children and was an only child for seven years. I graduated from Indio High School in 2008 and attended a semester at Laguna College of Art and Design. I had my first formal art class in [my] senior year of high school where I met an instructor who saw promise in my work and guided me towards the right direction when it came [to] pursuing my art as a career. I won “Best in Show” at an annual exhibition for all local high schools, hosted by The Palm Springs Art Museum at the end of the year.

Immediately after a semester at LCAD, while on leave of absence, I sold my first painting to the daughter-in-law of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation when I was eighteen. I eventually quit working in restaurants to support myself financially and landed a job at Heather James Gallery in Palm Desert, where I worked for two years as an art handler. I got the opportunity to hold and hang everything from two thousand-year-old Tang Dynasty ceramics, to multi-million dollar pieces of artwork by Picasso, Van Gogh, Lichtenstein, Leger — just to name a few. Nowadays, two years after leaving the gallery, I have sacrificed everything to solely create art as my means of income.

What was your experience like in high school?

My high school experience wasn't anything spectacular. I usually was bullied from freshman to junior year because of the fact [that] I dressed differently and only got along with girls. I was constantly being challenged or had to defend myself against groups of kids I wouldn’t even know or recognize, but somehow they knew me. I think a lot of my creative freedom and self expression was stifled during my time attending a Christian school as a child. Uniforms and dress code and haircuts... once I got to a public school I went crazy on how I wanted to dress.

I always had some inclination to want to push the limits any way I [could] through the way I dressed, my hairstyle, even the content of my work. Maybe the creative suppression throughout grade school can be the reason I wanted to make a statrment so bad once I transferred schools. But that came with a price — being a social outcast.

Many of your paintings depict faces — what draws you to this subject and how would you describe your artwork?

The faces came about after I dropped out of art school. Being jaded by my life as an art student and the academic approach to art, I started to experiment with a more expressive quality to my

work. Faces [were] just... an automatic interest because I felt it was the most difficult to render for me. I had this notion I had to confront whatever was most intimidating. For me, the series of faces have been an examination of my own identity [as] an artist and a human being. The relationship between the artist and audience also fascinates me. The exploration into a more expressive quality of my work has helped dissolve the barriers between my work as an artist and how the audience can relate to my art. I love to leave the process behind my work very apparent.

What do you enjoy most about live painting and interacting with the public?

Live painting is like a social experiment and the variables are the people I interact with as they pass by. I love allowing my viewers the opportunity to interact with the painting and to gain insight into the process behind creating art in public with others. The most enjoyable experiences for me are sharing my painting with children and learning their fresh perspectives on life and self expression.

Can you tell us an interesting story from one of your live painting experiences?

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Photo courtesy of Adam Enrique Rodriguez

There are many great connections I share with people passing by, while painting live. The most common experience that occurs in public comes from interaction with children and their parents. Almost every time, the initial reaction is to be weary and reserved once I ask to have the children paint on my work, but after some coercion and goofy, childlike interaction with the kids, the parents become comfortable with allowing their child to paint. Whatever [happens] from that point is pure magic.

Children have the freedom to incorporate themselves [into] my work and the parents can have a glimpse into their children's raw, creative capabilities. It is always... gratifying to witness.

Where do you go to find inspiration?

Usually my inspiration comes from experience — situations I have been in, trials and tribulations throughout my life, as well as current situations throughout the world. Sexuality and mortality will always be a contribution to my work. I am very involved in society and psychology as a human being and think art is a great tool into learning how the human mind works. It's always a constant mystery and source of inspiration for me.

Which artists have had the most influence on your work?

The greatest influential figures in my life as an artist... my teacher in senior year of high school, Jennifer Ireland-Alwine, the music of Bob Marley, and art history ranging everywhere

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from [the] Tang Dynasty, to the work of William Bouguereau, to the paintings of Francis Bacon and Pablo Picasso, Miro and Matisse, as well as contemporary art.

You travel about often and once mentioned having a desire to live in New York — what draws you to the Big Apple?

New York has always been a fascination of mine ever since I visited in eighth grade. I have always known that the arts scene of New York is definitely the place to be. Once I moved to San Francisco I realized that I needed to experience the city of San Francisco in order to be prepared for Los Angeles so that I can survive in NYC. You have a pretty interesting wardrobe and haircut — how would you describe your style?

My style is definitely more of a marketing tool than anything, I use my wardrobe to make a statement. I feel fashion can serve as an extension of your own personality, and I wear loud clothes to speak about personality and ego as an artist. Half of my head is shaved and I dress in a lot of loose-fitting clothes with many conflicting patterns. Many people think I am a monk or something like that.

What are you currently working on — what’s next?

Currently, I am working up a collection of work [for] a show to be

Photo courtesy of Adam Enrique Rodriguez

held at The Coachella Valley Art Scene on February 19th, 2016.

It will be my debut solo exhibition. So, I'm very excited. Lately, I have been working on paintings that will revolve around the theme of the show, which will be an examination into the selfportrait or modern day “selfie.”

If you made millions of dollars through your artwork what would you do with it and how would it change your life?

In the unlikely event that I make millions of dollars through my artwork, I would utilize it to do good in this world. Whether philanthropic or on a personal level, I want to help the planet.

Bob Marley once said, “What good is one man’s life if he can’t help plenty of people?” I believe it is the duty of the artist to give back in any means necessary. The only reason I feel I need to make any wealth off of my artwork is to be in more of an advantage to help those who cannot help themselves. Right now, wealth is controlled by majority of people who aren’t responsible with it: corporate greed, exuberant lifestyles and materialism, etc.

What is you main goal as an artist?

My main goal as an artist is something that I have been devising ever since I was old enough to pick up a paintbrush and I may never know what the ultimate goal of my work is. The older I get, the more it becomes apparent that the honest pursuit of art and the overall goal for every artist should be to inspire others,

and to work towards the betterment of all humankind and life on Earth.

Is there a main message you would like to get across to viewers?

My statement or message as an artist is always going to be under construction, but from what I have discovered in my work thus far, I wish to work at dissolving the barriers between art and its relationship to the audience. The act of making art and how people perceive art is very much based off of one's ego.

Artists typically get offended if someone doesn't like their work and people who don't make art usually consider themselves incapable of drawing anything other than a stick figure. I want my work to showcase the ugliness behind the process that goes into making art, that it's not about the finished product, its about the process.

Anything else you would like to add?

Nothing I would like to add other than to clarify that my work is not about me, it is about my audience, it is an exploration into the human experience and is solely concerned with inspiring every person who views it, that they will want to take into their own hands — the responsibility of inspiring everyone else and making this world an even more beautiful place than it already is. instagram @ADAM_RODRIGUEZ_PAINTER

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PHOTO G RAPH Y

sarah elise ABRAMSON interview JORGE PEREZCHICA Tell us about yourself and your background as a photographer?

Sure! My name is Sarah Elise Abramson and I’m a 28-year-old fine art contemporary photographer. I started photographing when I was 11 years old, which means I’ve literally had 17 years to find, develop, and fine tune my craft. I live and work out of San Pedro, California, which can only be described as a sleepy little port town full of the most eclectic and eccentric bunch of weirdos I’ve ever come across. I love it here. It’s the only place I’ve been where you can see someone with an eye patch on a daily basis. I have a studio at Angel’s Gate Cultural Center that I feel incredibly obliged to have due to its uniquely strange and stupendous atmosphere as well as its curious history. Before it was turned into artist studios, the buildings severed as military housing up until the 1970s and before that, a Native American tribe used to perform ceremonies here on the cliff that overlooks the ocean. All the artists here feel it; some sort of residual energy that makes for an enigmatic outpour of creativity. The place always feels quiet and rather deserted yet you never feel like you’re alone. It’s hard to explain, and doesn’t feel negative or threatening, but it’s an undeniably rare and unprecedented place.

Which artists have had the most influence on your work?

My early influences were definitely David LaChapelle and Diane Arbus because it was the first time I was seeing something I related to on a deeper, more inherent level. It was also the first time I saw that you could photograph the things you are obsessed with, do it a significant way, and have it evoke a reaction or emotion from a complete stranger; all while maintaining a unique and recognizable style. As my style changed and evolved, so did my influences. Currently, the artists that inspire me the most are Francesca Woodman, Susan Worsham, Ana Mendieta, Helmut Newton, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Pierre Huyghe, Maya Daren, and Oscar Wilde.

You shoot almost exclusively with analog as apposed to digital — what do you see in analog and not in digital?

With film there is magic and an implied preciousness because you have a limited number of frames. It forces you to slow down and consider everything happening from corner to corner of the frame and once you have the perfect composition, that’s when you take the picture. With digital you can just shoot and shoot and there’s not much consideration regarding all the elements that, for me, make a photograph exquisite. Digital eliminates all the alchemy from the craft, which is what made me fall in love with photography in the first place. I respect digital photography and digital photographers I’m just stuck on film.

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Many of your photos are of nudes. What draws you to them?

I shoot nudes because I find it to be natural and beautiful. It’s also my way of trying to make a statement about societies outlook on nudity today. The general public seems to believe that we should be ashamed of our bodies, especially women. I strongly disagree with this. Another important reason for shooting nudes is that it lends a hand in keeping my photographs “era-less.” I think a great photo is timeless and seems as though it could have been taken yesterday or 50 years ago. Clothing dates things, hence the preferred nudity.

What are you currently working on and what’s next?

I’m currently working on finishing a photo series titled “Parallels” that explores dreams and our subconscious. I’ve been working on this series for about four years now. I’ve also begun the start of a new series — photographing other photographers and filmmakers that have inspired me in one way or another.

David LaChapelle was my first subject and, if all goes well, David Lynch will be my second. It’s interesting how almost every artist I’ve met who spend the majority of their time behind the camera strongly dislikes being put on the other side, myself included. It’s about relinquishing control on their part and just examining the relationship between subject and photographer.

I’m also working on several different ongoing collaborations, the first being with my pen pal and fellow analog photographer, Sarah Seene, titled “I’ll Be Your Mirror.” Sarah lives in France and we’ve never actually met in person but found each other years ago because our Polaroid work has a very ethereal and similar feel to it. Each week we take turns choosing a word and then taking a Polaroid that depicts that word. The Sarah that picked the word for that week then sends the other Sarah the Polaroid. Then, that Sarah plays off the Polaroid and depicts the same word but in her own voice.

Your work shows great imagination. What inspires you?

Photography started giving me a certain sort of happiness that I wasn’t getting from life without it. I’m easily distracted and, like a kid, get really excited about little things. It’s the little details of life that make this life so special... spaces of otherness, things not easily labeled, the magic both light and dark, the echoes throughout nature and life in general, blowing bubbles in your drink with a straw, passion and people who are passionate, compassion, music, surrealist paintings, the things we won’t ever know or understand, and most importantly, my friends. web SARAHELISEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

SELF REFLECTION (2014) digital, lighting TIM ROMERO, model ALLYEE WHALEY

We got called pornographers today. Some assumably very unhappy and sexually/artistically void, middle aged, husband and wife yelled at us from inside their house, front door open. Plastic skeleton dogs on leashes and Leslie’s boobs ARE quite offensive. I asked them if they saw anyone fucking, then we left. I may have said a few other other things, can’t be sure. We drove 3 and a half blocks down and found this spot and this happened.

Impossible Project PX-70 open shade film (October 21st, 2015)

PINK ISLAND SELF PORTRAIT NO.2 digital (2015)

IRIDESCENT DEATH 35mm film (2015) models ANNIE MONTGOMERY & DANA BENOIT

CROSS MY HEART HOPE TO DIE 35mm (2015) model DANIEL CROOK, Soundcloud.com/danielcrook

DUALITY Polaroid Impossible Project PX-70 film (2015) models ANNIE MONTGOMERY & DANA BENOIT

THE THREE GRACES 35mm (2015) models DOMINIQUE ELLERMEIER, ASHLEIGH HESS & EMILY HENDRICKS

HELPING YOURSELF 35mm (2014)

GOLD 35mm (2015) stylist KRISTIN CONDIA, model EMILY GOLD, www.emilygoldmusic.com

ART I N TE R N ATI O N A L

atira ARIFFIN interview JORGE PEREZCHICA Can you tell us about yourself and background as an artist?

I am originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and I moved to London a few years ago when I received an offer to study architecture at the Architectural Association. As a person, I would categorize myself as somewhat an introverted individual.

Ever since I was little, I have always had difficulties in expressing myself, so I found comfort whenever I dissolved myself in my own ‘art world.’ I don’t view it as a form of detachment from my surrounding, but rather it is my own way of communication or projection of what I perceive, feel, and think. It was a personal therapy. I’ve been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember, though I’ve never received any formal education or training in art. Art has never been something that I ever imagined to be a career path. It wasn’t something that I took very seriously in the past; it was more like a personal hobby, an escapism. Growing up, I have never really exposed any of my personal artworks to people around me (even my family) until the recent couple of years when I started posting my artworks on my Instagram and, to my surprise, it drew a lot of attention and people started following me just because they like my artworks. It gave me a lot of confidence boost to develop my artworks further and take it to another level.

Can you tell us about your hometown?

Kuala Lumpur, where I grew up, is the capital city of Malaysia.

It is a vibrant mix of mismatched modern and old buildings, trendy nightspots, towering sky-scrappers, bustling street markets, mega-sized shopping malls, historic monuments, ornamented mosques and temples, colonial buildings and lush parks. It has a dynamic atmosphere where the country’s main ethnic population, the Malay, Chinese and Indian communities coexist in harmony and the blend of the different cultural influences gives the city an exotic buzz. And of course, we Malaysians are very proud of our food! The ethnic diversity has greatly influenced our local food. Malaysian food is all about the mix and fusion of mouth-watering Asian culinary traditions of the different ethnics. Needless to say, Malaysia will always retain that special place in my heart no matter where I am.

You post images on your Instagram from many places around the world — how far have you traveled and how has it influenced you? Do you have a favorite place?

To date, I have travelled and backpacked to forty countries across six continents. Traveling is indeed an overwhelming experience.

It is almost like a personal pilgrimage in finding myself. Being in a new place freed my consciousness of what I perceived as

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familiarity, ordinariness, normality. It broke free all of those chains and I found myself enveloped in a strange, unfamiliar realm. These kind of experiences activated me as a person. I became alert, my senses sharpened and heightened. I found great inspirations in the new places I learnt about, the people, their history and richness in culture, social diversity, the pain and struggles, the dark sides of the places, the depth of shadows that are hidden beneath the often superficial exteriority of each place, the colourful atmosphere that decorated each place, the taste of the food, the smell of the street -- all of this mix and jumble of things that clashed and coexist with one another, they made me see the world not just as black and white, but rather as a composition of various mixture of colours and textures.

On your social media it says “I want to fly to the moon of Saturn.” Can you tell us about that?

I love astronomy. When I was about nine years old, I wanted to be an astronomer. I was really keen on the idea that for a long time, I was buried nose deep in various encyclopedias about the planets, the Moon, the Sun, the galaxy, the blackhole, the various star charts, the Milky Way, and the space explorations. (Well obviously, a few years down the road my interest in architecture took over). So, a few months ago I was watching a fascinating documentary on Saturn and its 53 beautiful moons orbiting around the planet. I was so intrigued by it that a sudden thought just popped into my mind, “I want to fly to the moon of Saturn."

Previously, my Instagram tagline was “I’m an astronaut.”

What’s next? Any goals or plans for the future?

At the moment I am pretty much occupied with my fifth year design thesis. This year I am focusing on developing a ReGenerative and Resilient Architectural Habitat based in Central Africa, and I will be traveling to Rwanda early next year for research purposes. I am also in the midst of working on a personal photography project. I am documenting the homeless in London, where these unfortunate people merely exist and are viewed as “objects” within the urban fabric. I am interested in capturing the sense of isolation and detachment that they experience as well as the way they interact with the city, the way they view the city, and the way the city sees them. For next year, my aim is to try squeezing some time to develop a new painting series as well as launching limited edition prints of my previous artworks. web DREAMSBYATIRA.TUMBLR.COM instagram @atiraariffyn

Artist home studio in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Geisha Amidala (2015), watercolour and ink on paper, 42cm x 59cm.

(2013) A photo taken during one of my crit sessions in my third year: A project based in one of the favela neighbourhoods in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

LEFT: An earlier 1:20 prototype/study model. RIGHT: The Drifters (2015), pencil on paper. 42cm x 59cm.

1:200 urban sample cluster formation(4th year project).

1:20 physical construct of single prototype. Model made using 3D printing, lasercut and CNC milling technique.

P OET RY

michelle CASTILLO text & photo JORGE PEREZCHICA

“I can feel some kind of magic here in the desert; there is a lot of energy to absorb. I fell in love with the local arts community — this urgency to create more pulled me back here,” says Michelle Castillo upon returning to the Coachella Valley. “I was craving open space even though I loved the diversity of the city; this place is home.”

Castillo was born and raised in Palm Springs until the age of seventeen and like many youths, she yearned to get out and see what the world offered outside of this desert. She came from a creative household, her dad is an oil painter, her mother was a gospel singer and traveling musician. As a child, Castillo traveled to different venues with her mother where she discovered her artistic calling. “I was always involved in the arts, I played piano, violin, did drama, sang gospel and was trained in classical opera. I truly believe in the power of the arts and how it heals and brings communities together.” In 2007, she received her B.A. in Education/Music.

A true bohemian at heart, Castillo co-hosts an open reading featuring poets and writers with local writer Donna Fitzgerald at Koffi in Rancho Mirage, CA, on every first Sunday since July 2014. She also hosts CONNECTED, an open mic series at the Coachella Valley Art Scene every third Saturday of the month.

“We are so bombarded with technology that we forget to talk to people: real human communication is essential.”

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Castillo finds inspiration in nature, sounds, colors, a touch, a laugh, a moment shared and experiences. “Duende is when your inner child plays with the earth, and your soul starts to sing,” she described. When asked about her ultimate duende experience, she took a moment to think and then confided: “One night, I had a conversation with someone under the stars.

I couldn’t see their face because it was pitch-dark. But the whole experience was very sensual. All I could hear was their voice. It was as if we were the only ones looking at the solar system that night. I’d still like to think we were. Duende happens when it wants to. All I know is that I don’t like experiences that aren’t organic. It has to feel natural. I must have all my senses engaged in order to process the whole experience. Sensory overload?

Sure, it happens to me every day.”

Michelle is currently a teacher/writer who is working on an MFA in poetry at The University of California Riverside. One day, she hopes to teach poetry, own a café/restaurant and publish a collection of poems. “The arts have shaped me into the person I am today. I feel, why have boundaries? Why hide who you are? That was one of the things that kept me alive and happy — art and creativity.” projects Bohemian Café, Koffi 1st Sundays, connected and Lola’s Kusina (filipino pop-up eatery) web MOTHEREARTHERDIARIES.WORDPRESS.COM

DESERT POETS

curated by MICHELLE CASTILLO artwork & photo CHRIS GRANILLO

RAHSAAN DIAZ SAMIRA R. NOORALI DONNA FITZGERALD JENNYLIZA RAMORAN AMIE FISHER MELISSA BOYD ARTURO CASTELLANOS FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ MICHELLE CASTILLO

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DESERT POETS

ONE RIVER

ELUSIVE AND INTRUSIVE MEMORIES

by RAHSAAN DIAZ

by SAMIRA R. NOORALI

Sounds like a river while she walks across a plaid comforter just hours earlier sitting on the banks of the Ohio Sounds like a river playing touch and go with low hanging brown leaf branches where the only things that lived along this chilly Midwest doorway were emotion and the cry of owls somewhere in the bare trees I, lost in this rapture lost balance She, grabbed and lost my hand before I fell in We, now walking back Ohio River dripping from my clothes and her nonstop laughter echoing through the woods Sounds like a river I let her know as it’s rushing water singsong played in the distance barely audible to the soaring birds high above us beyond our dirty window panes and aged stones Her muffled giggles sweet as she hung wet clothes to dry.

The smell of you streams up my nostrils and pools into the bottom of some brain space; some flask-like container of memories spilling over onto other pink brain mush.

My nose buried in your neck searches the valleys of your brown skin and the fluttery wisps of your black hair for a forgotten future memory; takes you and your dewy sweat in for the last time a last time i’ve aready fantasized about wept about and moved on from with a freckled blond man who has long forgotten his last girlfriend and if i’m lucky, all of history.

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curated by MICHELLE CASTILLO

HOPPER'S ELEVEN A.M. 1926

by DONNA FITZGERALD She sits like so many other endless mornings naked in the blue upholstered chair, staring out the open window of her high rise apartment, hunched forward with her arms resting on her knees, her posture seems suggestive, she is wondering just what to do.

Her thick red hair hides her face so one wonders at her expression, what she is feeling, thinking: longing, sadness, despair, or just enjoying the morning sun, taking it all in before dressing for the day, before she steps into her uniform to work the lunch shift, before she endures the pinches and the stares, before she pulls her hair back into that tight chignon before she picks the tips up off the tables, before she returns to the apartment stinking of grease and cigarettes, the lingering leftovers of the night shift.

And so naked she sits wondering just how many more mornings like this one: eleven a.m. Monday morning hunched over in a blue chair counting down her days in a high rise over the city.

DESERT POETS

HER

NOT A THROUGH ROAD

by JENNYLIZA RAMORAN

by MELISSA BOYD

Thrown together for a journey Purposely trying to avoid me Distorting your thoughts since I inspire conflicting memories Escaping those feelings of betrayal She continues to arbitrate your mind After all this time, you failed to see the poison that runs rampant Because of your devotion, your agony never ceases to exist Never occurring to terminate this indulgence Consequently seeking celibacy until I disrupted your solitude life Attempting to cherish you Here I am before you ready to love you And yet, you just cannot liberate the recollection of her Glimpsing at me with a possessed face Drifting into another episode of reminiscence You only see her

Driving down a vacant 1-10. hazy pinks in my rear view mirror, dusk in the desert, warm breezes kiss my cheek through the gap of my car window.

My mind mumbles my soul winds down, white noise spills from the car radio.

Pain of past colliding into present through hypnotic desert twilight.

An image of you jolts into perfect focus.

Tired wrinkles line your eyes, pain in that strained smile.

The picture, found on the internet, feels like an act of spying.

How did exchanges between us drop into oblivion?

A single rebel tear escapes my eye, recalls the love I felt from you as a child, ...Forever time ago.

What’s the exchange rate for just one hug?

No, I recall it now, you have no currency.

No daughter should have to sell her worth just to get a hug...anyways.

Five years have elapsed since the funeral of this mother-daughter bond, it plays in my mind like a skipping record, the needle jumps again and again over the same painful words, “You need to go and never come back” For these past five years, I’ve obeyed this last request, certain the maternal bond would be too strong.

A call that begs me to return home has remained a fantasy.

curated by MICHELLE CASTILLO

WATER WORLD: WILD AND DOMESTICATED

by AMIE FISHER Water, water running wild in herds like spooked water buffalo.

There seems to be no distinguishable leader but flowing together by some mechanism of force.

If there should be a bifurcation in its path, some of its body will separate like an amoeba and forge out seeking water of its own level.

Water has somewhat of a utopian society— all bodies have its place, all bodies in its place.

Water is benevolent: it will lend itself for provisions of food, shelter and transportation for those who are not members of its world.

Water tolerates outsiders paying its world a temporary visit; however, if an outsider intrudes on it abruptly without ceremony, water will displace itself to show its disgust and even take lives.

If outsiders attempt to domesticate waters (by capture and control), water will be damned and seep its way to freedom.

If not allowed to run freely, water can become stagnant dry up or even die.

The clouds, the guardian angel that reigns over the waters, will send savior waters down to replenish and resurrect it back to life.

Water, water running wild again.

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DESERT POETS

EASTERN COACHELLA VALLEY

by ARTURO CASTellanos I live in beautiful sunny California between the San Jacinto mountains and the Chocolate mountains, in a little hole in the ground known as the Coachella Valley. 250 feet below sea-level and temperature reaching 110 degrees...on a good day. This little hole in the ground is home to nearly 300,000 people with over 40% of us being Latino, and even though its a small hole there’s a huge difference between the East side of the valley and West side.

Best of the West, From the Palm Springs Film Festival to the Coachella Fest.

Indian Wells Spa & Resort, This is the image of life in the Desert.

But where I’m from, The East side, There lies an ugly truth magazines try to hide.

Endless fields and unpaved roads, Back breaking labor and we’re all still broke.

Bending over for money instead of reaching for our dreams, This desert is a spiritual wasteland as it seems.

Everything polluted from our air to our water, We’re all illegal over here anyways, so the EPA won’t even bother.

Uncivilized Statistic Undocumented Alien Uneducated Student Its no wonder you’re failing.

Environmental racism Feeds the people’s pessimism Its a clear case of class-ism With no action or Activism There is much room... for criticism.

Factories blowin out smoke Now my neighbor has asthma, I can hear him when he chokes, He can’t even laugh anymore, life is no joke.

And people dare tell me my life is boring?

This is the Coachella Valley, An East side story.

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curated by MICHELLE CASTILLO

STRAY DOGS AND TALL TALES

BUBBLE BATH DREAMS

by FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ

by MICHELLE CASTILLO

Once upon a time, coming out at night a thundering howl soared across the sky.

The light from the candles bounced off the ceiling weaving increments of warmth into the air I could feel the pulse of your heart and your hand across my chest moving down to clean every corner of my body I can hear the record player in the living room playing jazz We lived only in bubble bath dreams where emotions turned into oxygen and I would have to let you in every time just to feel alive because our love only existed under deep lavender scented water

echo Purity left in ruin, as The man who became a dog, thirsty for tears.

Barks that erase childhood.

A fairy tale born from truth.

The little princess hangs, dripping from its tongue.

Broken toys Mangled verses Unheard cries.

The stray dog gives them sweets to lure them in,

the taste of innocence crowds his gut.

Red crayons

scattered on the floor.

A happy ending

M USIC

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Analyzing

Aphrodite text KRISTIN WINTERS illustration DENISSE MARTINEZ photography LUNAFORA

One evening in October, just as the desert air begins to cool, Venus and the Traps is set to play at The Hood Bar and Pizza.

Walk past the dance floor, onto the back patio and you’ll find Perla and James hanging outside, smoking Natural Spirits cigarettes. A cluster of interesting characters surrounds them, as Perla’s warm smile will place anyone at ease. James discusses his latest film project with a friend, who is sewing clothes with items he found discarded on the street. Then bandmates Eddy and Moy arrive together, and the group escapes to the green room.

James was like, “I play bass.” We did try out with several other musicians, trying to find the right match. I came to my aunt and said: “Hey Tia, I need a drummer I can't find a drummer.” I was at really low at that point in my life. She was like, “Don't worry mija, I'll find you a drummer,” and she did. She found me Moy, who was actually the drum instructor for my little cousins at school. So she passed on the number and we ended up meeting and started jamming, and we hit it off. I mean, he works hard, he showed up to the practices — YES!

Later, Venus and the Traps take the stage, met with whoops and cheers. Hardcore kids with technicolored hair and excessive safety pins push their way up to the front while art-house kids in vintage garb and worn-out moccasins come out from the shadows. Perla appears as a rock goddess, red glittering paint from her eyelids to her forehead. She peers out to the audience behind thick cat-winged eyeliner and begins to croon as Eddy hits the first chords, inducing the crowd to break out and dance.

The riffs, melodies and drum beats flow from surf-rock, to grunge, to punk with ease: each song is a blend of flavors, but the sound is distinctly Venus and The Traps.

MS We met up at Tapatios and from there they asked me if I was interested in a surf-rock type band. Then they showed me where they practiced and how the sound was and they told me just to add my sound to it — and that's how it happened. Later on we were looking for another guitarist and I recommended Eddy to come join us and we took him in.

Venus and the Traps is Perla Martinez on vocals and guitar, James Montenegro on bass, Eddy Lazcano on guitar, and Moises Sanchez, aka Moy, on drums. They are young musicians from the east side of the Valley, calling the cities of Indio and Coachella home. Each member has their own past and story to tell.

What is the origin story of Venus and the Traps?

PM Here’s the story: I love to play music and the name came by a dream. That’s the mythology (laughs). So, in my Freudian dream, I was in the ocean, my feet are in the sand all cushy, and then all of a sudden I see my hand is split open, bleeding into the ocean. There’s waves crashing, it's foamy, and suddenly there’s this penis bobbing around. I woke up and I was like, “What the hell does that mean?” So, as most people, I Googled it and I came across stories about Venus and Aphrodite and her birth. I liked the name Venus and I liked the mythology and symbolism behind it. Actually Alec Corral [guitarist of Tribesmen and Greasetrap] was there, and he was like: “You should do Venus and the Fly Traps!” and I said, “No, Venus and the Traps!” — and it stuck.

EL I was introduced to everyone by Moy: we grew up together, went to high school together, played in band together. We've played in bands together since we were in middle school, and we've always been jamming out and always trying to find a good serious band, but us being kids and irresponsible, we never did anything. Then he introduced me to James and Perla and we just jammed out one day — I guess they kinda liked it (smiles).

Venus and the Traps' music is such a blend of genres, playing shows alongside hardcore and indie bands alike. Where do you guys see your sound fitting in?

EL I feel like every song's just different. Sometimes you want a more grungy sound, and sometimes you want a very melodic sound. If you hear “I Wanna be in a Band,” its very pleasant to the ear, has very melodic riffs, very catchy tones.

PM You go from something like “Whoroscope,” where it's pretty much a self-loathing song about reading your horoscope and then going after someone that matches your horoscope, and then you feel like a complete idiot and you're like, “I should have known better!!” to what Eddy said, “I Wanna be in a Band,” where it's about all dirty stuff that comes with being in a band, all the stigmas that come from being in a band.

How did everyone come together to form the band?

JM I was really desperate to start dating Perla again, so I told her I would be in the band so we could be together and everything.

MS It’s still evolving, our songs still change from time to time; we’ll add a speed here or slow it down in certain areas to make it sound better, or add another solo somewhere. It always starts with an idea, we’ll be jamming and one of us will have an idea for a song and we'll each add our different parts.

PM True story (laughs)— I was on the verge of tears, saying, “I can't start a band! I need a bassist and a drummer! Aaaaah!” and

JM We sorta come outta that scene that was poppin’ seven or six years ago, where we really didn’t have shows that were based on

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JAMES MONTENEGRO

PERLA MARTINEZ

EDDY LAZCANO

MOISES “MOY” SANCHEZ

COACHELLA MAGAZINE 89

“

”

it just amazes me, how we pick up ourselves and keep going and going.

Jobs come and go, people come and go... but you just keep going.

This is my favorite journey so far — Life!

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— Perla Martinez

genres, like now there’s hip-hop shows, punk shows, hardcore shows, and indie shows. But back when I just graduated from high school we had shows where on one bill you’d have Youth Pollution and they were really grungy, and you'd have someone come on for 15 minutes and rap, and then Christian Leon would come on with his acoustic guitar sounding really folky, and then a melodic band. There was always a mix and variety. That really influenced my perspective of how we play our music. It’s music!

As long as it sounds good and feels right, it flies.

Where is your favorite place to perform in the Coachella Valley?

JM My favorite shows we’ve played are the ones at Club 5.

Because they are so small, so stuffy, people get crowded and they're usually drunk and really excited.

PM You can feel the energy come off the walls in that place!

It's surprising for the type of bar it looks like outside, you see all these Cumbias and hear Banda music coming out of it, and then all of a sudden it turns into all these rock bands playing and hip-hop shows. I really give it up to them for allowing us to do our thing there, you know. Not too many places would allow that much variety.

What are your thoughts on the Desert’s music scene?

PM I feel like it comes in seasons here. Sometimes we have a lot of bands that sprout up, and then we have a cool thing going for a while. Then all of a sudden they decide to hide into their little shells for awhile, to figure things out and practice. A lot of the musicians out here, you think they’re out of the loop, but they’re not. They’re just quietly working and doing something else. That’s my favorite thing about the scene out here: they’re always evolving somehow. Maybe the group might die, but members from previous groups will go out and do different projects together.

Where do you want to take Venus and the Traps next?

PM My ultimate goal is to travel with it. I feel the best way to travel is to play music, play shows; you get to meet so many people from it.

MS What surprises me is the turnout, that people are starting to notice us and that we’re starting to see some of the same people coming out to our shows to support us. It feels really good because I was once that person, I was that fan. I’d go to shows because one of my favorite local bands was there, I’d mosh and show support, let them know I loved their music. I don’t know where it’s going, but I really like what's happening to this group, we’re getting a fan base and I'm excited to see where this leads us.

EL If we opened for a band like MGMT I can die happy, like I wouldn't even care if we made it or not. That would be awesome!

JM I want us to be so poppin' that I can run into random kids at the mall wearing Venus and the Traps t-shirts, and I could just look at them and say: “That band sucks — go buy a Pixies tee!”

OK guys, Time for a look into your psyche!

Moy, if you died and could come back as any animal, what would it be?

Some type of bird, maybe a falcon or an eagle, maybe a raven or a crow. I've always really wanted to fly: that’s always been my biggest dream that I'll never be able to physically do, without getting on machinery. I've thought about that a lot.

Eddy, what fictional hero do you look up to?

That’s easy. I have a Legend of Zelda tattoo on my arm, so I’m gonna to go with Link. I was a little kid, nine years old, I said, “I’m gonna get a Zelda tattoo when I'm able to!” Ten years later I got it. It’s Zelda's life, what can I say? Link taught me to get through life, you need to have courage, you can't be scared of anything, you need to be wise, but you also need power. You need to be aggressive, if you want something you need to take it, not just hope you get it.

James, what is your greatest extravagance?

I'm a movie buff. Twice a year Barnes and Noble will put on their half-off Criterion Collection sale and I'll actually save up for that. I used to be really bad about it. When I was going to College of the Desert and not working, I’d drop $500 per sale. I'd buy all sorts of movies and then hide over at my parents’ house for days on end and just watch those movies and all the special features and documentaries that they have on the second disc. I still do that to some extent, but now its only $50.

Perla, what has been your greatest journey?

Just growing up in general. I was forced to grow up in high school because I was in foster care. I was forced to get myself out there.

Just learning how to drink and how to spend your money — I'm still learning that. Food vs. Clothing vs. Bills. Sometimes you just want to give up, like: “I quit, that's it! I'm just gonna turn on the Netflix, roll up in my bed and watch marathon after marathon.”

But, it just amazes me how we pick up ourselves and keep going and going. Jobs come and go, people come and go in your life, but you just keep going. This is my favorite journey so far — Life!

web VENUSANDTHETRAPS.BANDCAMP.COM

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F I LM

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL

ShortFest 2015

EDITOR’S PICKS & FULL LIST OF FESTIVAL WINNERS

SOAR

still image courtesy of the director, Alyce Tzue ©2014

INTRODUCING

ALYCE TZUE MAVERICK MOORE BEN BRIAND interviews by JORGE PEREZCHICA

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL SHORT FEST: 2015

SOAR director/writer ALYCE TZUE

*WINNER BEST STUDENT ANIMATION

Can you tell us about yourself and background as an artist?

I feel like I’ve gravitated toward film because it is a medium that combines so many of the arts. Starting when I was very young, I took years of private lessons in the fine arts as well as music (violin and piano) and dance (ballet). The rhythm of the arts is sort of ingrained in me, I guess. As an undergrad at Princeton University, I studied architecture. But after graduating and working in NYC for a year, I found that architecture didn’t allow me to be as creative as I’d like to be. So I took a risk. I moved across country to California to pursue what I thought was a pipe dream: to make a movie. I enrolled in the Academy of Art hoping it would give me the opportunity to do that. And that’s where I created SOAR as my MFA thesis.

How did the origins to SOAR begin?

Grad students at the Academy all knew that our thesis would absolutely consume us for the next two to three years. I kept this in mind while brainstorming for ideas, actively looking for something that I was absolutely fascinated with. If I wasn’t, I didn’t trust myself to still have my heart in it after so long! So, I settled on the sky. The sky would be a setting and a destination for the film.

Can you tell us about the main characters?

Mara is a precocious 13-year-old girl who designs her own

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model airplanes and dreams of one day piloting a real one. Like the rest of us, her ideas don't always make it off the ground. One day, a tiny boy pilot named Lucas drops out of the sky on his broken flying machine. Stranded on Earth, Lucas is afraid of the much-larger Mara, but also can’t make it back home without her help. Mara must call upon both her generosity and her wits to return Lucas to the sky.

What was the journey like to go from an idea to a finished film?

It was an incredible journey, made all the more incredible, because it was the first time for many of us, going through a film pipeline. We really had very little idea what was in store. I would say coming up with the idea and pre-production was the most fun. It’s fun to throw ideas out there and get constructive feedback. It’s rewarding to draw up a rough animatic and feel the pacing of your story, then have your composer and sound effects artist do their magic to further flesh it out. It’s exhilarating to see multiple artists’ interpretations of the characters while we went through visual development. All of pre-production probably took close to a year. Production itself was definitely more stressful. I had a clear idea of what I wanted the film to be, but now all these technical obstacles stood in my way. And part of the reason they were obstacles is because we're all still students! Not only was I myself learning about every stage of the pipeline — modeling, rigging, animation, texturing, lighting,

EDITOR’S PICKS

dynamics — the students I was working with were learning their specialities as well. We needed to rely on each other. But because so much of this was new to me, the bulk of production felt challenging. Often it felt like I didn’t know what I was doing — but that’s when my mentors stepped in. This project would have been impossible without their help! The mentor that had the most influence on my work is Derek Flood, the short’s visual effects supervisor... and I owe much of the film’s visual polish to his mentorship.

Where do you go to find inspiration?

I go to music to find inspiration. It can be any kind of music, from orchestral arrangements and movie soundtracks to pop, indie, experimental, anything at all. When I listen to music, my visual imagination expands. I find a moment in my story whose vibe matches the music and the scenes just unfold. I love retreating to that space. But actually, the heightened inspiration

only lasts for twenty minutes tops. Because there’s so much stimulation, I get mentally exhausted pretty fast. So I always have to enter this with a fresh mind!

SOAR won best student film at the Palm Springs International Short Fest — What was your experience like throughout the festival and screening your film with an audience?

It was such a fun experience. Everyone I met there was incredibly passionate about film and the arts, so it felt especially rewarding to show SOAR to that audience. The other animated shorts were also impressive, so it was definitely flattering to be screened alongside with them!

What are you currently working on — what’s next?

I'm working on a pitch for SOAR as a feature film! web SOARFILM.COM

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PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL SHORT FEST: 2015

SHOTGUN director MAVERICK MOORE

Tell us about yourself and your background as a filmmaker?

I fell in love with filmmaking when I was a little kid – I would always borrow my aunt’s camera to film my friends skateboarding around town and prank our unsuspecting neighbors. I quickly grew serious about filmmaking, moving onto filming and editing skateboarding videos around Texas for several years, and later to directing and editing narrative films as a graduate student at Baylor University in Waco. The older I got, the more interested I became in telling stories. I’m currently based back in Waco, Texas, where I teach film classes at Baylor University and continue to nurture my passion for teaching, watching movies, and making films.

What are the origins of Shotgun?

The idea for Shotgun all started with Zachary Korpi, the film’s co-writer and co-producer. The idea was a mischievously fun little story about three girls on a road trip to revenge (to tell you any more would be a sleight of hand). I loved the idea so much that I would always pester him about making it. For whatever reason, he caved into my nagging and told me to make it instead.

So I did.

Much of the film is dialogue driven — but it's very funny to watch.

Can you tell us about the screenwriting and story structure?

Writing Shotgun was a rigorous but fun experiment. We wanted to futz around with the conventional parameters of a film story, 96 COACHELLA MAGAZINE

but also didn’t want it to be an endurance test to sit through.

We wanted people to sit down and not be able to stop watching it, no matter that eighty percent of it consisted of girls talking about nothing inside of a car. So we catered to those goals.

We wrote everything to draw the audience in and keep them guessing by fooling with their expectations. We wanted people to have a good time at the movies.

What was the journey like to go from an idea to a finished film — the challenges and joys of the process?

Shotgun was an incredibly fun film to make, but we certainly had our fair share of hurdles and hiccups. The biggest challenge was turning our crazy vision into a reality without letting our practical limitations affect the story in a damaging way. So, there were practically infinite drafts of the screenplay to get the story just right. We endlessly debated the right language for the script, how the characters would react in their situations, and whether or not what we wrote would work on the screen. Then there was casting, collecting props, securing locations, and the allimportant task of finding vintage automatic Mustangs (and for free), all of which actually panned out very smoothly thanks to great help from Steven Trebus (and a great dosage of luck).

All the actresses in the film are talented and perfectly cast. Can you tell us about the casting process?

Casting is where the screenplay first comes to life, so it’s a very

EDITOR’S PICKS

delicate process. Thankfully, we got extremely lucky with our actresses. They were the bona fide femme fatale characters we had written. All of them were absolute knock-outs. They were all actually theatre students at Baylor University, which was where I attended graduate school. That added convenience made it an even sweeter deal.

Shotgun pays homage to filmmakers Tarantino and Godard.

What draws you to their style of filmmaking? What did you want to say with your film?

With Shotgun, I wanted to make a film that broke all of the rules. I was really inspired by the playful approach to story and structure of many French New Wave films, particularly ones made by Jean-Luc Godard, and I wanted to make a film in a style that was reminiscent of those films – a film that was coolly simple, mischievously self-aware, and delightfully fun. The more stylistically rebellious and whimsical films of the Nouvelle Vague, such as À bout de soufflé (Godard, 1960), Shoot the Piano Player (Truffaut, 1960), Zazie dans le metro (Malle, 1960), Jules et Jim (Truffaut, 1962), Bande à part (Godard, 1964), and Pierrot le Fou (Godard, 1965), really expanded my perception of storytelling. To me, these films demonstrate that a story can transcend formula and challenge its inherent parameters, yet still be engaging, entertaining, and full of ideas. Characters can break the fourth wall, stories can be out of order, and genres can be mixed. So, as an homage to Godard and many other French

New Wave films, I wanted to cast away tried-and-true methods of filmmaking and storytelling logic as a way of exploring more ways to tell a story effectively on screen. At the same time, I was also inspired by the pulpy, post-modern stylization of many contemporary Quentin Tarantino films, which have many stylistic similarities to Godard’s early French New Wave classics.

So, I wanted to make a film that was a radical fusion of the two influences – a black-and-white French New Wave pastiche with an explosive rock-n-roll attitude that’s a straight-up good time at the movies. It’s my bizarre love letter to cinema.

What have been some of the rewards so far, from screening Shotgun at festivals?

There are lots of benefits of screening a film at a festival – attending the festival and seeing your film with different audiences, meeting different filmmakers and networking, receiving press coverage for your film, and visiting all kinds of cool places. It’s also cool to see a community gather simply because of a film screening. The spirit of filmmaking is alive and well.

What’s next? What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on the story for my next film, which I plan to shoot sometime next year. web SHOTGUNFILM.TUMBLR.COM

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PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL SHORT FEST: 2015

BLOOD PULLS A GUN director BEN BRIAND

Alice lives in her father’s isolated roadside motel. She bides away her time reading magazines while “the same boring parade” of guests check in and out. Occasionally, “stealing from strangers is as thrilling as it gets,” she explains. “I like to collect memories, mostly other people’s.” Suddenly, things are about to change when an enigmatic visitor named Blood checks in. Just as Alice's first sexual feelings begin to emerge, her curiosity leads to a dark and mysterious world. By the end, Alice learns a deadly lesson: “but not even love is free. When you take something, you pay for it.”

Blood Pulls A Gun is the anticipated follow up film to director Ben Briand’s critically acclaimed short, Apricot. Written by Kevin Koehler and shot by DOP Jeremy Rouse.

Can you tell us about yourself and background as a filmmaker?

I went to a very sporty school. I had a deal with my high school, where if I shot the football on Saturday I was allowed to take the largest and most cumbersome camera home for the weekends to shoot my own experimental videos. This led to a Fine Arts degree that encompassed photography, sculpture, and moving image. No film school for me.

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How did the origin to Blood Pulls A Gun begin?

The short film I had made prior was called Apricot and had been very successful online. It dealt with the idea of a first kiss.

The emerging emotions that a child feels as they engage in that pivotal moment in their life. I was keen to explore the next phase, the first emerging sexual feelings in teenagers and how obsession can take hold of that.

Where do you go to find inspiration?

All my projects are conceptualized from a mood that is evoked from music. Either soundtracks or strange bands that I like. If I can find a few tracks that express the feeling that I want the idea to be expressed through then those pieces of music are looped over and over whilst I work on developing the project. Apricot was written in a Paris hotel room with one single song on loop for three days.

What was the creative process to Blood Pulls A Gun? Long. It’s always quite methodical for me. I love the crafting of filmmaking. That’s where the exploration of the psychology of the project is at its most dynamic. If you change a color,

EDITOR’S PICKS

I was keen to explore the next phase, the first emerging sexual feelings in teenagers and how obsession can take hold of that.

— BEN BRIAND

a character name, or a motivation it shifts all the human understanding of the project. I feel like making films is very much like an experiment. You place the characters and dynamics of the world in a dish and see what happens. At certain points you poke and prod it to push it around and change the balance.

I love the cast, especially the main character played by Odessa Young. Can you tell us about the casting process?

We searched for many months for the cast. I wanted this film to operate on a global level, so all aspects, camera, music, lighting, and especially casting needed to sit in that realm. Lucky Gorka at McGregor Casting saw many young teenagers for the role, but Odessa clicked for the producers and myself the moment she came on screen. Aside from fitting all the tonal references, she was wise beyond her years, which is something the character needed to be. When we shot she was exactly in the gap between a young girl and a self-aware teenager. She was also the most professional person on set.

Blood Pulls A Gun is beautifully photographed. What was it like collaborating with rising-star cinematographer Jeremy Rouse?

Jeremy accepted the project before even reading the script,

which I though was such a compliment. Since that moment, we have been very tightly synced. This was the first project that we worked on together (and have since done many more) and I was so refreshed by his enthusiasm and excitement. His camera work, lens choice, and lighting comes from a very emotional place. There isn’t too much over-intellectualizing between us, which is great. We are just trusting instincts and moving towards those choices.

Which artists have had the most influence on your work?

I am inspired and influenced by all the collaborators that I work with. People think filmmaking is always a dictatorship and I believe there is always a right time for that, but I think it's a two-way street a large part of the time. However, selecting those collaborators is the first place where you should be picky.

What are you currently working on — what’s next?

I really enjoy moving between different types of projects. I have just finished a number of commercial projects in France and now one back here in Australia. Much of my focus next year will be going into the feature. web BLOODPULLSAGUN.COM

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congratulating THE festival winners PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL ShortFest 2015 JURY AWARDS BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD Carry On (Esel) (Austria), Rafael Haider GRAND JURY AWARD Over (UK), Jörn Threlfall FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD Submarine (Brazil), Rafael Aidar PANAVISION BEST NORTH AMERICAN SHORT Marta Rosa (USA/Mexico), Barbara Cigarroa BEST STUDENT FILM AWARD It’s Better in Italian (USA/Italy), Jordan Ledy HONORARY MENTIONS Exceptional Performance by an Actress - Miriam Zohar, Paris on the Water (Paris Al Amayim) (Israel) Exceptional Cinematography – August (Poland), Tomek Slesicki AUDIENCE AWARDS BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT The Way of Tea (les frémissements du thé) (France), Marc Fouchard Runner-up – Contrapelo (Mexico/USA/UK), Gareth DunnetAlcocer BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Body Team 12 (Liberia), David Darg Runner-up – It’s Better in Italian (USA/Italy), Jordan Ledy BEST ANIMATION SHORT Bear Story (Historia de un Oso) (Chile), Gabriel Osorio Runner-up – SOAR (USA), Alyce Tzue

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES First Place - The Good Life-Over There (Det Gode Livet, Der Borte) (Norway), Izer Aliu Second Place – Submarine (Brazil), Rafael Aidar Special Mention – Brothers (UK), Thordur Palsson BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT 15 MINUTES AND UNDER First Place - August (Poland), Tomek Slesicki Second Place – Over (UK), Jörn Threlfall Special Mention – Ave Maria (Palestine/France/Germany), Basil Khalil BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT First Place - Pink Boy (USA), Eric Rockey Second Place –Pebbles At Your Door (Denmark), Vibeke Bryld STUDENT CATEGORIES BEST STUDENT ANIMATION First Place – SOAR (USA), Alyce Tuze Second Place – After the End (UK), Sam Southward Honorable Mention – The Present (Germany), Jacob Frey BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES First Place – Paris on the Water (Paris Al Amayim) (Israel), Hadas Ayalon Second Place – The Little Death (Den Lille Døden) (Norway), Simon Tillaas BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT 15 MINUTES AND UNDER First Place – Marta Rosa (USA/Mexico), Barbara Cigarroa Second Place – Zelos (USA/Iceland), Thoranna Sigurdardottir

SHORTFEST ONLINE AUDIENE AWARD The Deadman (Peru), Franco Finocchiaro

BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY SHORT First Place – It’s Better in Italian (USA/Italy), Jordan Ledy Second Place – The Tour Guide (Ha Madricha) (Israel/Germany), Amos Geva

JURY CATEGORY AWARDS Awards in the non-student and student categories were selected

by ShortFest jury members David Ansen (Writer), Gregg Kilday (Film Editor at The Hollywood Reporter), Steve Greene (Assistant Editor of Indiewire’s Criticwire Network), Dan Ireland (Writer/Director/Producer), Roberta Munroe (Writer/Director/ Producer), Barry Primus (actor), Kim Waltrip (Independent Film Producer).

ADDITIONAL PRIZES ALEXIS AWARD FOR BEST EMERGING STUDENT FILMMAKER – The Alexis Award is selected by the Festival’s programming team and was created in honor of Alexis Echavarria, a young filmmaker, whose talent as a budding filmmaker and gift for inspiring excellence among his fellow students were cut short suddenly in 2005 at age 16.

First Place - Zelos (USA), Thoranna Sigurdardottir

BEST ANIMATION SHORT First Place - Bear Story (Historia De Un Oso) (Chile), Gabriel Osorio Second Place – The Orchestra (Australia), Mikey Hill

HP BRIDGING THE BORDERS AWARD PRESENTED BY CINEMA WITHOUT BORDERS First Place – Ave Maria (Palestine/France/Germany), Basil Khalil Special Jury Prize – Rangan 99 (Iran), Tiyam Yabandeh

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CULTUR E

bhakti FEST text KRISTIN WINTERS photography ENOCH WATERS

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T

“

”

True spirituality makes one softhearted and humble.

It doesn't make one glimmer on the surface and all puffed up in self-importance.

— Krishna Das

his past autumn in mystical Joshua Tree California, the annual Bhakti Fest West had once again come to town.

Hundreds gathered from around the world for this event, seeking spiritual awakening through yoga practice, Kirtan chanting and teachings from celebrated yogi leaders. Bhakti Fest is known among followers as, “The Spiritual Woodstock of The New Millennium.” Bhakti Fest West harkens back to an era of peace, love and happiness, creating an environment where people can enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded souls.

The scene is set with a bustling bazar, glittered with incense and crystals, yogi wear, tarot and palm readers, with ambient world music playing in the background. Delicious aromas of Indian vegan cuisine waft through the air, delighting the senses, transporting you to an otherworldly place. The grounds are illuminated with bright smiles and joyful embraces of newly found friends, walking hand in hand along the meandering path from one workshop to the next. There were countless events to attended, but a few come to mind that portray the essence of Bhakti.

The class led by Govind Das and Radha was a combination Bhakti and Vinyasa yoga session. They encouraged attendees to reach out to the yogis on the mat next to them and say, 'hello,' to share the space and welcome everyone of all talents and levels.

By the end of the workshop the class broke out into a dance embracing those around them, chanting and singing whether they knew the mantras or not. Each of us had become his or her childlike self, as the armor of everyday life stripped away, and all that was left was the euphoric experience.

Another fascinating workshop was Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band: Wild Lotus Story Time. The audience was moved

by Sean Johnson's delightful mythic tales, and the gorgeous sound track provided by the Wild Lotus Band. Sean Johnson evoked an innocent childlike wonder with the words: “Would you like to hear a story?” Yogis acted out parts of the stories along with him through guided chanting and yoga posses. He encouraged yogis to let go of self conscious thoughts like, “Am I doing this right? How do I look in this pose?” and to simply enjoy the sensations of the body, free of criticism.

The climax of Bhakti Fest West was the closing Kirtan workshop with Krishna Das, a leader of Kirtan and American yoga. This summit was to be his last event before his upcoming sabbatical.

Yogis eagerly congregated in the Sanctuary hall to hear his beautiful voice and his seeds of wisdom. Krishna Das spoke of the joy and challenges of modern day yogis: “True spirituality makes one softhearted and humble. It doesn't make one glimmer on the surface and all puffed up in self-importance.” He imparted personal anecdotes that were met with cries of laugher and nodding heads. Krishna Das inspired each one of us to find our own individual practice, keeping in mind the heart of yoga: gratitude, peace and service to one another.

The word, “Bhakti,” translates to: love, connection and belonging.

Bhakti Fest West is more than practicing yoga against the beautiful backdrop of Joshua Tree. It is a place where seekers and believers can join in as a community, to pursue enlightenment and change the world together, one exhale at a time. web bhaktifest.com

COACHELLA MAGAZINE 115

BO O K S

KILLER HEELS THE ART OF THE HIGH-HEELED SHOE

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text SARA HYLAND Lisa Small’s inspired fashion bible Killer Hells: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe became the muse for the Palm Springs Art Museum’s first exhibit of their Fall Season. Combining fashion, film, and material culture, the book takes readers not only through the history of the high-heeled shoe, but how this enviable piece of fashion changed history. From the French court’s red heels of the 1700s to Marilyn Monroe’s Salvatore Ferragamo pumps to Lady Gaga’s Rem D. Koolhaas leather and metal stiletto boots, this book paired with the exhibition is sure to appeal to patrons of all ages.

Despite the pain of fashion, high heels have stood the test of time, and their evolution over three hundred years is brilliantly displayed in the Killer Heels book. At the traveling exhibit of the museum, the shoes are showcased on arched pedestals, separating them into six categories: “Revival and Reinterpretation,” “Rising in the East,” “Glamour and Fetish,” “Architecture,” “Metamorphosis,” and “Space Walk.” Within these spaces patrons can look upon the works of highly revered designers, such as Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, Prada, and Dior. The thin line between fashion and art is wonderfully cat-walked in the magnificently stocked exhibition. A great deal of the high-heeled shoes can be considered nothing short of art, which shows how much the definition of art has changed in the twenty-first century.

The accessibility of history between art and design, as well as the cultural significance of fashion, are what makes the book and exhibition stand out amongst others of their kind.

Along with shoes designed by the best of the best, some heels in the exhibition were constructed by architects like Rem D. Koolhaas, or rendered on a 3D printer (there are four in the exhibition).

All in all, Lisa Small’s book explores the notion that there are shoes meant to be seen, and there are shoes meant for walking.

Fashion trends come and go with the seasons, but there is a reason why they have stood the test of time — each generation is constantly reimagining the high heeled shoe. It’s safe to say that someday in the future we will be finding our balance on a pair of pumps concocted through a collaboration with a friendly alien race from another world. Hover heels, anyone?

The exhibition was organized by the Brooklyn Museum.

Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe can be viewed at the Palm Springs Art Museum through December 13, 2015.

BOOK: KILLER HEELS LISA SMALL (Editor, Contributor) STEFANO TONCHI (Contributor) CAROLINE WEBER (Contributor) OPPOSITE: Chau Har Lee. “Blade Heel,” 2010. Perspex, stainless steel, leather. Courtesy of Chau Har Lee. Photo: Jay Zukerkorn.

THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Prada, Wedge Sandal in Rosso, Bianco, and Nero Leather, Spring/Summer 2012, courtesy of Prada USA Corp, photography by Jake Zukerkorn. Walter Steiger. “Unicorn Tayss,” Spring 2013. Courtesy of Walter Steiger. Photo: Jay Zukerkorn. Nicholas Kirkwood, Pumps, Spring/Summer 2013, courtesy of Nicholas Kirkwood, photography by Jay Zukerkorn

COACHELLA MAGAZINE 117

Photo Lisa Thompson, courtesy of Eisenhower Medical Center’s Healthy Living Magazine

FOOD + D R I N K

CATALAN MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE text SARA HYLAND Indulge, drink, and mingle at Catalan Restaurant brought to you by the Davis family in Rancho Mirage. Drew and Cynthia reopened their Mediterranean restaurant with a Spanish twist at the beginning of September, and with this return came back a slew of dedicated guests and a welcome group of newfound fans.

Famous for their insanely delectable tapas, at Catalan you can get a mixed plate of three for a low price.

A description of the origin of tapas is printed on the menu to invoke knowledge about Spanish culture. Catalan takes their guests on a journey overflowing with flavor as well as friendly faces. Armed with unique drinks like their homemade sangria (the secret ingredient is a little bit of brandy) and glorious dishes made from local ingredients, everyone leaves both refreshed and full. Guests have choices between small plates and salads, as well as large plates served family-style. Sides like the shaved sautéed Brussels sprouts with tomato bacon jam are savory additions to any chosen plate.

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Catalan’s rustic ambiance puts guests in a cozy environment, allowing them to eat elegant food in a casual setting. The art decorating the walls celebrates the unique ingredients used in each and every dish, while the flowers adorn the dining room to bring a splash of color to the décor. Whether guests choose to sit inside or out, they are sure to be surrounded by beauty.

The restaurant forms a U shape, leaving a delightful space in the center for a shaded patio, guarding guests from the harshness of the desert sun. In the middle of the courtyard is a stretching tree, ornamented with lanterns hanging from its branches.

The highly recommended Catalan Paella and Catalonian Seafood Stew are so tantalizing to the taste buds, new guests will be cleaning their dishes with the complimentary bread. These delicious meals, as well as the rest of the exquisite menu, are all prepared by owner and Executive Chef Drew Davis. where 70026 CA-111, RANCHO MIRAGE, CA 92270 web CATALANRESTAURANT.COM

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FOOD + D R I N K

PUR COLD-PRESSED text SARA HYLAND A budding business out of Idyllwild, CA, PUR Cold-Pressed is a boutique juicery focused on providing small, hand-crafted batches of raw, organic juices to the Coachella Valley. Partners Noelle Coley and Shon Hartman started pressing juices for the masses only a little over six months ago in their beautiful Idyllwild home. After Noelle’s success in founding the first cold-pressed juice company in west Texas in 2012, which she recently sold, she decided to venture out to SoCal last November. With Shon sharing her belief that our Desert needed its own cold-pressed juice, Noelle decided to bring her product to the area, thus creating PUR.

The company strives to inform the consumer in order for them to understand why their premium juice is making a splash in the health community.

Pressing their creation in their own home kitchen, Noelle and Shon perfected their recipe before sharing the results with the Coachella Valley, and the response showed that we were indeed interested.

Orders came piling in, so in order to meet the demand, the partners worked out a commissary agreement up in the Idyllwild hills. However, the temporary spot would not suffice. Once the brand took off, the partners decided to set up permanently in Palm Springs and secure a large space to produce and distribute their juices. With the new spot up and running on October 1st, Noelle and Shon are eager to meet the demand of the growing business.

Finalizing a permanent location solidifies PUR’s new home in the Desert, and they are very excited.

PUR juices are a healthy, fresh alternative to current existing options, and they consist of a unique mixture of veggies, creating stunningly vibrant shades of green, red, and orange – beauty missing in most cold-pressed juices. The company also offers nutmilks and carries a delicious chia line, striving to source as many local ingredients as possible for all of their products through building relationships with local farms and suppliers.

There are many ways to make juices, but the cold-pressed process is a special one, and PUR has perfected it. When it comes to fresh pressed juice, their raw cold-pressed creation is top of the line.

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Cold-pressed juice is made through the use of exceptionally designed machines to crush plant cells in order to preserve the nutrients of the produce slowly without heating or destroying the molecular structure of the cells. As a result, five times the nutrition is maintained, leaving the juice a lot smoother, richer in taste, and pulp-free.

What sets PUR apart from other companies most of all is their cleanse and detox programs they offer. Their cleanses gently rid the body of impurities, enabling the consumer to regain balance and normalize digestion and metabolism. The nutrients trigger cleansing through the liver, kidneys, and skin, resulting in a difference in energy levels, quality of sleep, and general well-being. web PURCOLDPRESSED.COM

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CALEN DA R

NOV 21 THRU

JAN 16 photo by Lance Gerber

PHILLIP K SMITH III Unveils new Light + Shadow sculpture series at Los Angeles Royale Projects royaleprojects.com

DEC

10 CHICANO BATMAN SLIPPING INTO DARKNESS The Hood Bar & Pizzeria Palm Desert, CA

thehoodbar.com

THRU DEC

DEC

KILLER HEELS Palm Springs Art Museum

NEW YEARS EVE PARTY: ACE HOTEL & SWIM CLUB

13

31

Live sets by: Thee Oh Sees, He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, and Slipping Into Darkness, plus Desert Daze DJs.

Christian Louboutin, Printz, Spring/ Summer 2013, courtesy of Christian Louboutin, photo by Jay Zukerman

psmuseum.org

acehotel.com/palmsprings

JAN

1-11

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL

FILM FESTIVAL www.psfilmfest.org

Entering its 27th year, the Palm Springs International Film Festival has established a reputation as one of the most prestigious and well-attended festivals in the country.

JAN

JAN

21

23

SEVEN | SIX TRADE SHOW Ace Hotel, Palm Springs, CA Showcasing over 15 brands highlighting art, fashion, accessories, skate, and lifestyle. sevensixtradeshow.com

BOHEMIAN CAFÉ Poetry+Music Performance Coachella Valley Art Center

coachellavalleyartcenter.org

JAN

FEB

RANCHO MIRAGE WRITER’S FESTIVAL Rancho Mirage's annual celebration of writers, books, readers, and ideas! rmwritersfest.org

PALM SPRINGS FINE ART FAIR

21-23

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11-14

Post-War & Contemorary Art.

Thomas Downing Untitled (1) 1962 Acrylic on canvas 86 x 88.5 inches Photo Courtesy Yares Art Projects

palmspringsfineartfair.com

ART & CULTURAL EVENTS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY + SO-CAL

FEB

FEB

RIVERSIDE COUNTY FAIR AND NATIONAL DATE FESTIVAL datefest.org

SORDID LIVES The cast of Sordid Lives puts a comedic twist on a story of unconditional love, acceptance and “coming out” palmcanyontheatre.org

12-14

12-21 FEB

11-21

MODERNISM WEEK www.modernismweek.com

Cool. Iconic. Modern.

Modernism Week’s signature February Event is an annual celebration of mid-century modern design, architecture, art, fashion and culture.

MAR

MAR

NATIVE FILM FEST The best in films by and about, Native Americans and other Indigenous peoples.

LA QUINTA ARTS FESTIVAL Ranked #1 in the Nation!

Enjoy Art, Live Entertainment, Food, Wine and Beer. lqaf.com

3-6

1-6 accmuseum.org/Native-FilmFest

MAR

MAR

BNP PARIBAS OPEN The World’s Largest ATP World Tour and WTA Combined Professional Tennis Tournament bnpparibasopen.com

SPECTRUM INDIAN WELLS Join us for four days of Contemporary Art and Entertainment in the Coachella Valley. spectrum-indianwells.com

17-20

7-20 THE BROAD FALL PROGRAMS

WHAT’S HAPPENING www.thebroad.org

The Broad is a new contemporary art museum built by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. The museum, which is designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler will offer free general admission. The museum will be home to the nearly 2,000 works of art in the Broad collection.

COACHELLA MAGAZINE 123

I NDE X

SUNNYLANDS CENTER & GARDENS

PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM

Tours, art exhibitions, gardens, film, café, shop

(760) 322-4800 101 North Museum Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 psmuseum.org

(760) 202-2222 37977 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 sunnylands.org

COACHELLA VALLEY HISTORY MUSEUM

AGUA CALIENTE CULTURAL MUSEUM

(760) 342-6651 82616 Miles Avenue Indio, CA 92201 cvhm.org

(760) 778-1079 219 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 accmuseum.org

MARKS ART CENTER (760) 776-7278 43-500 Monterey Avenue Palm Desert, CA 92260 marksartcenter.com

THE COACHELLA VALLEY ART SCENE Gallery / Office 68571 East Palm Canyon Dr. Cathedral City, CA 92234

CRISÀLIDA ARTS

A COMMUNITY ARTS PROJECT OF McCALLUM THEATRE

The Crisàlida Community Arts Project is an initiative of the McCallum Theater to create, celebrate and inspire meaningful cultural experiences. crisalida-arts.blogspot.com

RAICES CULTURA 1494 Sixth Street Coachella, CA 92236 raicesdelvalle.org

(760) 409-6445 thecoachellavalleyartscene.com

COACHELLA VALLEY ART CENTER The Coachella Valley Art Center (CVAC) is an innovative non-profit facility for the arts, providing artists of all levels access a space where they can cultivate growth and exposure.

(760) 799-4364 coachellavalleyartcenter.org

124 COACHELLA MAGAZINE

CULTURAS MUSIC+ARTS Non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts in the Eastern Coachella Valley. facebook.com/culturas.musicarts

ART / CULTURE / FAVORITE HAUNTS

McCALLUM THEATER

(760) 340-2787

73000 Fred Waring Dr Palm Desert, CA 92260 mccallumtheatre.com

CAMELOT THEATRES (760) 325-6565

2300 E. Baristo Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262 camelottheatres.com

CINÉMAS PALME D’OR (760) 779-0730 Westfield Palm Desert 72840 Highway 111 Palm Desert, CA 92260 thepalme.com

PALM SPRINGS VINYL RECORDS AND COLLECTIBLES (760) 778-2636

220 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262 palmspringsvinylrecords.com

DESERT OASIS

COMICS

THE FINE ART OF DESGN (760) 565-7388 73717 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA thefineartofdesign.com

THE END A shop & gallery featuring vintage and new artisan work.

55872 29 Palms Hwy Yucca Valley, CA 92284 @theendyuccavalley

TIENDIQUE CUT / CRAFT / CULTURE

(760) 554-0754 tiendique.com

EPIDEMIC SKATEBOARD SHOP (760) 808-9906 epidemicskateboardshop.com

DESERT OASIS COMICS

INK MASTERS PRINTED PRODUCTS

(760) 799-6938

(760) 219-8292

73-241 Hwy 111, Suite 4B Palm Desert CA 92260 desertoasiscomics.com

36399 Cathedral Canyon Ste 7 Cathedral City, Ca 92234 cvinkmasters.com

COACHELLA MAGAZINE 125

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MOMENTS

10

12

11

13

14

photos by TOM FOWLER, LUNAFORA and TAYLOR ANN TRAD

1) Signed poster of Vol. 1 No. 2 cover featuring Justin Bower at the contributor’s party hosted by Eureka! Indian Wells, CA 2) Brianna Parra peeks behind her artist feature in Vol. 1 No. 2 3) ROWLOW strikes a pose 4) Cliff Horn is all smiles about Safety Net’s feature story 5) Tina Reiner and Leah Juarez class it up 6) Brianna and Michelle Parra, see the future via ESP! 7) Leah Juarez loves Coachella Magazine

8) Tina (model) Jessica Gotelli (stylist) and Leah (model) XOXO 9) Dione Rojales & Tristan Reparejo (Marketing & co-owner of Goodfew) 10) Meet the Glam Squad: KJ, Taylor, and Charlene 11) KJ makes a new friend at The Glam House 12) Taylor Ann Trad’s intersteller adverture...

13) Pose. Snap. Share... Taylor Ann Trad takes a sefie 14) KJ shows us Flower Power! in vintage inspired fashion

COACHELLA MAGAZINE 127

Tribute to U.S. Poet Laureat Juan Felipe Herrera at Coachella Valley Art Center (CVAC), Indio

Poetry Workshop at the Salton Sea

Mariachi band performs at the Indio Senior Center

The new East Valley Repertory Theater Company 10 Minute Play Festival (CVAC)

MAY14 SAVE THE DATE EAST VALLEY VOICES OUT LOUD

TICKETS ON SALE IN JANUARY

The Crisalida Mobile Art Van at Mecca Family and Farm Workers Service Center

PRESENTS

EAST VALLEY VOIC ES

OUT LOUD

An evening of spoken word, music,

theater, hip hop, visual arts and poetry celebrating the talent of the Eastern Coachella Valley.

East Valley Voices Out Loud is the culminating event of the Crisalida Community Arts Project.

Saturday, May 14 • 8pm • McCallum Theatre 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA www.mccallumtheatre.com

Walk on the Wild Side at

KILLER HEELS

Through December 13 #killerheelsPS Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe is organized by the Brooklyn Museum.

Palm Springs Art Museum showing sponsors include Annette Bloch, Kimberly and Roger Swanson, Diane and Hal Gershowitz, Ann Sheffer and Bill Scheffler, Kathy and Jim Simpson, Thom and Sarah McElroy Foundation.

Exhibition Season Sponsors: Dorothy Meyerman and Marion and Bob Rosenthal.

Media Sponsor: Christian Louboutin, Printz, Spring/Summer 2013, courtesy of Christian Louboutin, photograph by Jay Zukerman.

101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262-5659 760-322-4800 | psmuseum.org