In addition to High Noon

SMSU Event Center BC

OSR Grant Project Abstract In Addition to High Noon Frederick J Brashear Jr. Purpose: To determine the human impact on an area of the Mojave desert that includes Hesperia, California, and the threat on the endemic Joshua tree due to the amount of trash that is dumped in the desert landscape. Methodology: contact the local government agency responsible for enforcing the laws against illegal dumping and gather information on the laws that are in place to stop this illegal activity. determine how much trash can be found in one square mile of desert by physically collecting trash and measuring the weight in pounds on a digital scale. Compile collected trash and use it in a Joshua Tree shaped sculpture made of cast resin with trash suspended in resin. Results: The information acquired will provide evidence and support for my ongoing art project, High Noon, and provide vital documentation of the threat to the desert environment that is an ongoing struggle. Conclusion: The outcome of research and trash collection will both provide a positive effect on the landscape and further my exploration into the answers for preventing the loss of the Mojave’s Joshua tree. The sculptural representation of the Joshua tree made out of trash and resin that I plan on constructing will provide a 3D aspect to my current photographic work and provide a visual model of the threat trash has on the Mojave desert environment.