Diane Best opens Other Worlds 2 at JTNPA in Yucca Valley
The Joshua Tree National Park Association presents a new exhibition by artist Diane Best titled Other Worlds 2.
For many years, Best has painted remote, often overlooked corners of the desert, drawn to singular moments when light and landscape converge. Her work has long reflected a commitment to witnessing the wilderness as it exists and to encouraging its preservation.
Other Worlds 2 marks a subtle shift. Created from memory, past travels, and brief excursions into Joshua Tree National Park, these paintings move beyond strict representation. Instead, they suggest places that feel familiar yet are not entirely real, imagined landscapes shaped as much by reflection as by observation.
Best rarely speaks publicly about her work. For this exhibition, her longtime partner Christopher Lawrence offers a perspective on her process and the evolution of this body of work.
“It’s a lot more abstract, and yet there’s realism to it. It kind of combines all of her skills.”
Once a background painter for animation, Best has described these works as background paintings for one’s life. Rather than telling a fixed story, the images create space. Viewers are invited to step into the landscapes, bringing their own memories, emotions, and interpretations with them. In that quiet exchange between image and observer, the paintings become less about a specific place and more about how the desert is remembered, imagined, and felt.
The exhibition runs from January 17 through March 31 at the JTNPA West Art Gallery, 55922 29 Palms Highway, Yucca Valley. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 17, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
