Elmer Long has plenty of free wisdom to dispense to those he meets. This bearded elder of the desert chose to retire early from his job at a quarry so that he could have more time for his life's work: constructing a forest of 'bottle-trees' in his yard. Each tree is adorned with dozens of bottles, and crowned with Americana collectibles he finds in the desert, like an old gold-digger pistol or a pump from a 1930's Route 66 gas station. Elmer is adamant that you don't need money to be happy as long as you have a dream to follow. "I had something to do before I die and I'm doing it," he says, filled with joy and laughter among his trees of glass.

Desert citizens inhabit UFO science centers, spiritual retreats, and art parks. However, despite the outward individualism and distinctiveness of the lives encountered on this trip through the Mojave, each has one thing in common: their love of the austere environment and the freedom and spiritual understanding that comes from the decision to live far from the centers of civilization. Each speaks not like a timid or eccentric recluse, but like a sage endowed with the wisdom of the wilderness.

The gorgeous landscapes, vast skies, and dramatic sunsets captured on film form a perfect backdrop for this examination of desert life. Contrasting images of the desert with suburban and consumerist lifestyles, Desert Dreamers forces us to examine the aspects of our lives which seem normal, but which would be considered completely alien in the desert. What do we city-dwellers lose by attempting to fit the norm? This portrait of the Mojave Desert's eccentric inhabitants suggests that happiness lies in following your dreams, however far they may take you.

Maria-Paula AcunaMaria-Paula Acuna

Desert Dreamers