A Pioneering Experiment in Nomadic Art Practices
In early 2024, John Diehl, a multidisciplinary artist renowned for his large-scale geometric paintings, embarked on a groundbreaking venture that would come to be known as the Flamingo Project. This project was not merely a single artwork but an exploration into the potential of nomadic art-making, a method John envisioned would shape his future exhibitions worldwide. The concept of the project rested on the notion of securing a temporary studio in a remote location, producing a cohesive body of work, and exhibiting it outdoors in a natural landscape—a far cry from the traditional gallery setting.
The Flamingo Project was designed as a proof of concept for this nomadic model. It would challenge established norms surrounding the creation and exhibition of large-scale works while also pushing the boundaries of logistical and artistic execution.
The Concept and Execution
The origins of the Flamingo Project can be traced back to John’s desire to transcend the limitations of a stationary studio practice. By creating a mobile workspace, John sought to draw inspiration from the environment and context of different locations around the world. The idea was simple yet bold: materials, tools, and canvas would be shipped in advance, with the artist arriving at the site ready to transform a temporary space into a working studio. The project would culminate in an outdoor exhibition set in a remote, untouched landscape—a juxtaposition of geometric precision against the backdrop of untamed nature.
In early 2024, John selected Palm Springs, California, as the site for the Flamingo Project, a fitting location given the city’s mid-century modern architecture, which had long influenced his work. Palm Springs was also where, in early 2023, John had drafted the initial form of Flamingo, making it a natural choice for the completion of this ambitious project.
To prepare for the endeavor, John shipped four packages—totaling over 150 pounds—from his Massachusetts studio to Palm Springs. These packages contained all the necessary materials to build two large canvases, including the wood for stretcher frames, canvas, and various rulers. John flew to California and awaited their arrival, ready to begin working in a 1959 Alexander-built, William Krisel-designed home in the Racquet Club neighborhood. The house, with its iconic mid-century aesthetic, played a pivotal role in the project’s development, embodying the architectural spirit that informed much of John's geometric work.
The Artistic Process
Once the materials arrived, John set to work. The first step involved building and stretching the canvas in the home’s living room, where the large-scale geometric painting would eventually take shape. The canvas was then properly gessoed by hand in the garage—a method John adhered to in order to maintain control over every aspect of the preparation process. Plotting the Flamingo form took place outdoors, where John used rulers and his precise freehand technique to map the intricate geometric lines that define his work.
Stretching the canvas in the living room
Applying gesso to the canvas in the garage
Plotting and drafting the form with ruler and pencil outdoors on the patio
Plotting and drafting detail
The actual painting of Flamingo, 2024 occurred back in the living room, and it was here that John’s labor-intensive process of freehand painting truly came to life. The form of Flamingo, drafted months earlier, now emerged with refined precision, each line echoing the crisp architectural lines of mid-century modern design.
Nomadic Exhibition in Wonder Valley
With the painting completed, the next phase of the project unfolded: transporting Flamingo, 2024 into the remote desert of Wonder Valley, where it would be photographed and exhibited outdoors. John, along with a team of photographers, spent three days capturing the work as it stood mounted on a custom-built stand named Wonder Boy. The stark desert landscape provided a dramatic contrast to the controlled, geometric abstraction of the painting, resulting in a striking visual dialogue between human-made form and natural environment.
Unpacking Flamingo, 2024 and Stand No. 3, 2024 (Wonder Boy)
Posed with Flamingo, 2024 in Wonder Valley, CA
The choice to exhibit in Wonder Valley, far from the art world’s traditional spaces, reflected the core of John’s vision: to challenge conventional exhibition practices by merging the refined with the raw. This exhibition marked a departure from the gallery model, allowing the work to engage directly with the land—a relationship both stark and harmonious, reminiscent of Earthworks from the late 20th century.
Significance and Legacy
The Flamingo Project represents a pivotal moment in the development of John Diehl's artistic practice, both conceptually and logistically. It stands as an early exploration into the feasibility of nomadic art-making, laying the foundation for future projects that would follow this model. The Flamingo Project proved to be successful with the completion of the painting, 35 drawings, and over 100 digital collectibles. In the history of contemporary art, this project can be viewed as an evolution of site-specific practices, blending geometric abstraction with the freedom of open-air exhibition.
The project also speaks to broader trends within modern and contemporary art, wherein artists push against the boundaries of where and how art is created and displayed. By removing the work from institutional spaces and placing it within the context of nature, John reasserted the significance of environment and location in the interpretation of art. This move aligned him with the tradition of Land Art, while also emphasizing the portability and adaptability of contemporary studio practices.
In hindsight, the Flamingo Project marked a turning point not just for John’s career but also for discussions around nomadic artistic practices in the 21st century. By adopting this approach, he joined the vanguard of artists seeking to rethink the relationship between artist, artwork, and place, reaffirming his role as both an innovator and a practitioner deeply engaged with the world around him.
In its final form, Flamingo, 2024 exists not only as a significant work of art but as a marker of new possibilities for how and where art can be created, experienced, and understood.
Flamingo, 2024 exhibited in Palm Springs, CA with long exposure light arc