Mural III: Cyanotype Triptych by Rose Cefalu

Exterior Wall of JTAG
61607 29 Palms Highway Joshua Tree, CA 92252

The MBCAC continues our mission to inspire and enliven the community through the arts by presenting a rotating line up of large temporary murals on the exterior wall of the Joshua Tree Art Gallery. For our third round, we feature Rose Cefalu, who used cyanotype photography to create this triptych reflecting her appreciation of the high desert.

As we reflect and shift with the daily changes and effects of COVID-19, the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council is committed to the health and safety of our community. During this time art has the power to connect, uplift and inspire everyone. While many residents are staying at home and reevaluating the new normal, the downtown Joshua Tree commercial strip remains active. We aim to catch the eye of a passersby and shift their current outlook to one of inspiration and intrigue. Stay positive, stay safe and continue to make and appreciate art.

We are accepting submissions for a new mural to be installed August 2021 and November 2021. We are happy to continue and adapt this great program started by JTAG founder Frederick Fulmer.

Artist Statement:

The “blue prints” are part of an ongoing photography series dedicated to my love of the high desert landscape and the cyanotype process. These unusual trees paired with the vintage development process creates this unique handmade view of Joshua Tree National Park and the high desert. Recently I have been on a journey with “Fred,” exploring the cliché of the desert alien. During quarantine he has turned into my own personal “Wilson.” We often have morning conversations about where he wants to go and what he wants to do today. Fred often gets hurt on adventures and has become very friendly with Gorilla glue. Say hi if you see us driving around the desert.

The Blue print process is done by creating a light sensitive emulsion to cold press water color paper and contact printing an enlarged negative onto the surface. In conjunction I am also creating photograms with this process where I am contact printing pieces of high desert nature to the emulsion.  The process includes harnessing the sun’s power as the images are left in the UV light to develop then rinsed with water to clear the image. I teach this process 2-5 times a month through an Airbnb Experience, titled “Make sun-prints in the desert.”

About the artist:

Every day you can find Rose Cefalu obsessing over her iPhone photos and over-posting on Instagram @joshuatreedesertrose and @rosecefaluphoto. In her spare time, she thinks about traveling, printing imagery, making candles, and mixing new colors. In 2019 Rose launched a cyanotype workshop to get her “hands dirty” again and reintroduce this vintage art form to a new audience interested in becoming skilled with alternative photographic processes. She is also producing award-winning content at a variety of outlets. Currently Rose is the Photography Director at Emmy magazine and you can find her work at rosecefaluphoto.com

This mural and work are for sale. Rose also has original 16 x 20 inch prints available for purchase. Please contact gallery-director@mbcac.org if interested. Interested in being a future mural artist? Check out our call for work!