An exhibition organized by
the School of Architecture
4.15–
5.16.2022
ArandaLasch
Petrichor, 2022
A pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather. The word is constructed from Ancient Greek pétra ‘rock’, or pétros ‘stone’, and ichor, the ethereal fluid that is the blood of the gods in Greek mythology.
This work is from a new series of experiments using found material from the Sonoran Desert to create design objects, extending decade-long research into desert materials as a vehicle for experimentation and expression. The process begins with the gathering of Desert matter found in and around Tucson, Arizona. This includes commonly found wild materials like bear grass, yucca, dirt, mallow, and creosote along with cultivated material like copper, volcanic dust, and agave fiber. This desert matter is mixed with a yucca-based paper pulp to create a series of vessels that probe the deep material culture of the Sonoran Desert.
This work is from a new series of experiments using found material from the Sonoran Desert to create design objects, extending decade-long research into desert materials as a vehicle for experimentation and expression. The process begins with the gathering of Desert matter found in and around Tucson, Arizona. This includes commonly found wild materials like bear grass, yucca, dirt, mallow, and creosote along with cultivated material like copper, volcanic dust, and agave fiber. This desert matter is mixed with a yucca-based paper pulp to create a series of vessels that probe the deep material culture of the Sonoran Desert.