“Sentinels of the Desert” by Laura Russell

2020
Limited edition artist book, archival pigment prints on Mohawk Superfine paper, cover wrapper with a bristol board protective phase wrapper
8” x 4” x 0.75”

The Saguaro cactus, majestic symbol of the Sonoran Desert, is endangered by climate change, drought, and competing invasive plant species. They form the foundation of an interdependent ecosystem that would be forever lost if conditions continue to decline.

This limited edition artist book uses Hedi Kyle’s Panorama structure to show two stories of these beloved desert icons. The first side is a visual timeline of the life of the Saguaro, which has an average life span of 150-175 years and can grow as high as a four-story building. Original photos document the cactus from delicate seeds, to monumental maturity, and then to decay and death leaving behind a ribbed wooden skeleton.

The second side features a poem written by the artist, celebrating the majesty and cultural touchstone that is this vital species and worrying over the most serious threats to the Saguaro, and indeed the desert’s, survival.