One of many alluvial fans found in the Mojave, Big Rock Creek carries soil and sediment from the San Gabriel Mountains and waste dumped along this desert route north into the Antelope Valley in powerful flash floods. Most of the time Big Rock Wash is a deep, dry, wide trace of these short dangerous events. Located in Llano, CA the arid ephemeral creek is tied to the history of Llano del Rio, a socialist utopian experiment just east of the procurement site from 1914-1917.
Part of the #wastewunderkammer, the Alluvial Albums contain family memories, snapshots, polaroids and ephemera, each altered by sand and water then baked in the searing sun.
The online project shares the current state of the photo collection, research into content and history of the area. Visitors may hike out to the wash and perhaps find an experience or project souvenir. Bring a bag to collect trash or treasures.
Alluvial Albums is part of Maiden LA 2020, an inclusive network of art related happenings throughout Los Angeles County taking place September 1-20. Despite the pandemic, over 75 Los Angeles artists, collectives, curators, and organizations have delivered an exciting array of projects both live and online, interactive and socially distanced. For the complete calendar of events visit the Maiden LA website where you can search for projects based on neighborhood, venue information or project type. There is also a comprehensive map and downloadable PDF.
