Berlin photographer Markus Altmann has been interested in the desert region outside of Los Angeles for some time now. He first completed a project on the area a few years ago, in a series titled “Mojave – High Desert Crossings.” Now, he is back to the desert for more photographs of the landscape and this time, of the people who have become part of the landscape. With “Wonder Valley,” Markus is exploring a community where people and landscape come together to create a unique energy of place.
I was intrigued by the question of how much influence the environment we live in has upon us. And what kind of change we inflict on our surroundings by making a place our home. I feel that in the harsh environment of a desert this can be viewed much more clearly.
Markus got the name “Wonder Valley” from a town just east of Twentynine Palms. While only some of his images were shot there specifically, he felt that the name “Wonder Valley” spoke to the greater area he was shooting.
I like the idea of it referring to an exemplary topographical location, as well as evoking the romantic idea of a special, maybe enchanted place to live.
Having always been interested in cultural geographies, Markus sees this project as a natural artistic endeavor for him. He was able to get connected through a couple of friends who live in the area, who introduced him to some more people he could photograph. “Once you get to know a few, it multiplies,” says Markus. He also says it helps that a lot of the people in this desert area are creative types like himself, so making a connection often comes easy.
One of Markus’s biggest challenges with this project is distance. First, because he lives in Berlin, so he can only get to Wonder Valley so often. When he is there, the distance between people is also a challenge. Finding people in remote locations, and getting to those locations at great distances makes for some long days and hard hunts.
It is a lot of random discovery and making the best of the situation, even if this means sleeping in the car for a night or two.
Markus is already getting a lot of exciting feedback on “Wonder Valley” from magazines and artb uyers as well. He hopes to fly back over in the fall to continue, possibly keeping with the same style, or possibly switching to something new.
To view more of Markus’s work, visit markus-altmann.de!