More About the Info:
Ansel Adams traveled through what was then Joshua Tree National Monument for The Mural Project in 1942. Under the direction of The Department of The Interior, he was tasked with completing a photographic survey of the lands administered by The National Park Service and other agencies that would be made into photo-murals available at the Department’s discretion. Although the project would be canceled by June 1942 due to World War II, Ansel would apply for and receive a Guggenheim Fellowship to complete his vision of the undertaking in the late 1940’s. Besides the titular tree, the park is known for its unique, fractured geometry of igneous monzogranite and its subsequent erosion that results in whimsical forms. Ansel showcases both in this composition, with a natural pyramid of jointed rock rising above its surroundings in Giza-esque fashion, while a resolute Joshua sprouts at its base. In the direct center, a conspicuous, water and wind worn globe sits on a plinth drawing our attention to the power of nature, and the geological timeframe of existence. Eight years after he made the negative, Ansel included this image in his Portfolio 2, ‘The National Parks and Monuments.’
