Oasis at the Edge

Comeback Alley

"Comeback Alley" is about resilience, inspired by the incredible Joshua Tree. This tree can  survive extreme heat with almost no water, and to me, it represents the ability to thrive despite  tough conditions.

I've had my share of setbacks in life and my career, as many of us have. Any path forward is  always marred with ups, downs and detours along the way.  The Joshua Tree grows tall, wears its protection on the outside, and manages to endure in the  harshest environments. I think this mirrors a natural part of being human – our ability to take  setbacks, losses, and failures, and use them to adjust our course and grow stronger.

There’s also a bit of a sports reference here, pointing to how the highest achievements in  competition show us the potential that lives inside us all. Below the laser cut surface, splashed onto a billboard, native poppy flowers bloom in large  fields, symbolizing the renewal of life. Images of a car, a dog, and the words "I'll be back" poke  through supporting the theme of bouncing back and coming out stronger after facing  challenges. 

It Never Gets Old

I lived in Venice Beach for 18 years. Even before I moved there, I loved the ocean. I used to  drive out to Malibu in the middle of the night from the San Fernando Valley when I needed to  think. Later, I moved to the beach, and wondered if I’d get used to it, if it would become so  familiar that I’d stop appreciating its beauty.

I never got old. I loved it every day. And only left when I got bit with a bug to travel. 

The laser cut shapes in this artwork are spontaneous and lively, like a dance winding through  the palm trees. While we change and evolve over time, and our busy lives continue to shift, our  connection to nature remains universal and eternal. 

Whatever You’re Looking For

Growing up in Los Angeles, I was like many teenagers—filled with angst and discomfort,  projecting that unease onto my surroundings. I dreamed of escaping to some unknown place  where everything would be "better." Then, I went traveling. I fell in love with so many places,  but when I returned home, I saw Los Angeles in a new light.

The cut shapes are bold, wild and expressive, reflecting the unique creative energy here. Los  Angeles is a city full of ambition and dreams. Yet, with all its natural beauty, it’s also a place  where you can recharge, reset, and reconnect. There’s truly no other place like it.

The buildings I photographed downtown show a blue sky with construction, as an illustration of  a desire to grow and touch the sky. "Whatever You're Looking For" is inspired by this vibrant  city that perfectly balances creativity, ambition, flow, and beauty. 

Progress

"Progress" is a concept drawn from my poetry, highlighting the non-linear nature of progress  and growth internally, as well as externally. I frequently escape to the desert, where the vast,  open spaces help me find clarity and recenter from the hectic pace of city life. It's in these  serene moments that I reflect on my journey as an artist and a father. Life can feel like a roller coaster, filled with intertwined lines of setbacks and successes. It’s  hard to see progress when we’re too close to our own experiences. But when we step back,  we can see the broader trend of growth and expansion.

In this artwork, I boiled my personal journey down to its essence in an effort to reveal its  universality. A resilient Joshua Tree stretches toward the sky, symbolizing the pursuit of dreams  and the tenacity required to achieve them. I included the sun shining through a windshield to  represent illumination and clarity. The graffiti-covered train signifies movement, making a mark,  and the diverse paths we travel. The hand painted, laser cut shapes show dimension, causing the work to look different at  different angles. And also to underscore the idea that it is not just a picture or collage of  images, but an object in its own right. Much like our personal pursuits that begin in our minds. The photographs in this piece were taken in Joshua Tree, CA, Spain, and Italy. I often blend  images from my travels because there’s no distance between memories, and at a fundamental  level, human experiences are universal. This approach subtly challenges the basis for much of  the conflict in our world. 

Southern California native, Rob Grad, is known for his introspective, yet bold 3D collages,  sculptures, writing and music. His heavily layered visuals contrast photographic vignettes of  natural and urban environments, with drawing, painting and his words–an aesthetic largely  shaped from his two decades living in Venice Beach, CA. Grad’s work addresses existential issues surrounding desire, fulfillment, and resilience in a  society inundated by technology, social media and politics. His new work is increasingly  influenced by his early career as a musician, when he was signed to RCA records and  appeared on MTV not long after graduating high school. 

He is a product of the “MTV generation,” which found its identity through a shared global  experience before the invention of social media. It was a generation that invented itself as it  went along. This ethos is a cornerstone of Grad’s studio practice, always pushing himself into  new and uncomfortable territory in an effort to extract the extraordinary from the mundane. He has shown in museums, galleries and art fairs from Basel to Miami, and Los Angeles. In  2024 he will be exhibiting at the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, CA as part of the  Getty’s Pacific Standard Time initiative. Other exhibitions include the Museum of Art and  History in Lancaster, CA, Torrance Art Museum, Haute Photographie in Rotterdam, and the Griffin Museum of Photography in Boston. He has large-scale commissioned works installed on both coasts, and his work is held in private collections.