Thursday, November 10, 2011

Intaglio

While in the Palm Springs area, most of my hikes have been at the Coachella Preserve. Wide open spaces with few people. My kind of place. Could be described as a minimalist environment with few bushes and no trees. Nothing blocks the expansive views. In some ways, it is like eastern Montana where the plains go on for tens of miles. Once again: my kind of place.

On a previous hike at the Preserve, I came across this Peace intaglio.


Yesterday, my hike took me past that same intaglio. A modification had been done. Why.


After repairing the changes and returning it to peace, I moved on.

Just a few feet away is a smiley face intaglio. After I fixed some minor facial features -- like the schnoz -- I took the portrait.


And with that I hope the intaglios survive to amuse or frustrate future hikers.


5 comments:

  1. Are you sure intaglio is the right word for a raised pattern? I thought that was called a bas relief. Anyway they're fun figures to find in the desert.

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  2. Lloyd... regarding your question about the modification to the intaglio...

    Why isn't the question... it's the answer. Just invert your photo and you will see, Grasshopper.

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  3. Boonie, I couldn't find a word that described laying stones in a pattern on a desert floor. Intaglio or bas relief. Perhaps I should have stuck with my first thought: "desert rock art".
    Thom, I see the letter "Y" in a circle or three unequal parts of a pie. Perhaps the modification person was asking "Why peace?"

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  4. Have you seen the several intaglos near Quartzsite? Also a giant one just across the river near Blythe. Much larger- in fact the best way to see them is from the air. It's hard to imagine how native Americans could construct them with no aerial view.

    Jaimie

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  5. Jaimie, Seen the intaglios at Q several times. Known about the Blythe intaglio for many years, but some day I may actually get there.

    ReplyDelete

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