Daine Zizka:

Artist Statement

In 2020 I headed to the Mojave Preserve for the first time, in search of new inspiration. I found inspiration, but not what I expected to be inspired by, which is how I rationalize the excitement I felt about something so devastating. It was simply shocking, and I felt the need to share this.

I went in springtime, searching for the usual beauty that spring in the desert has to offer. I had my camera with me, ready to shoot beautiful imagery that I would later turn into paintings. When I got to the Mojave Preserve, somewhere off Cima Road, I was stopped in my tracks by one of the strangest sights in nature I had ever seen. What I came upon was a 43,000 acre area that had recently been burned by a wild fire. What I saw were strange charred black trees with white spots all over the trunks and limbs where some of the burned bark had fallen off, exposing the white inner bark beneath. I later learned that these trees were Joshua Trees, a protected, slow-growing species that only grow in the Mojave. The landscape was a sea of black tree silhouettes with bushy white tips on the limbs, as far as my eyes could see. Having grown up in the Midwest, seeing the aftermath of a wildfire, in person, was completely new to me and the scene had a profound effect on me that day.

I spent several hours wandering around photographing the landscape. Thoughts about life, death, and climate change came to mind, while I was simultaneously left feeling excited and in awe of the odd, beautiful new landscape that this fire caused.

After two years of photographing and video documenting the burn site, I finally felt ready to put together a collection of paintings inspired by the wildfire in the Mojave, in an attempt to capture the sense of the scene as it was the first day I discovered it. With this body of work I hope to create a sense of curiosity about the changing landscape in the desert region. I use color as a means to bring attention to these works, while making the trees themselves the focal point. Each tree is painted as they were in the landscape, to get a true sense of what they look like.

In 2023, another 100,000 acres burned in the Mojave National Preserve. Today the area is still being survey to understand how badly the effects are on the natural habitat and wildlife that rely heavily on the shelter and food that Joshua Trees provide to the area. Restoration efforts are in progress for the 43,000 acre Cima Dome fire and the Mojave National Preserve gladly takes volunteers every year to help replant new Joshua trees. To learn more about the fire or get involved visit: https://www.nps.gov/moja/getinvolved/cima-dome-joshua-tree-forest-restoration.htm

This body of work was made possible thanks to the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment of the Arts, who partially funded the creation of this work. Thanks also to the City of Las Vegas who has begun to collect pieces from this series as public artwork. One of which can be found hanging in the East Las Vegas Community Center.

Diane Zizka is a multi media artist, who works out of a home studio in Las Vegas, NV. She’s been painting for over 20 years being and has a BA in studio art from Cleveland State University. Zizka works as a freelance artist, hired for various public and private art projects in Las Vegas, in addition to her own studio practice where she currently creates regional art, inspired by life in the desert.

Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM