The works in Steel Boulders are inspired by the dramatic boulder piles that populate Joshua Tree National Park and the
surrounding landscapes. The way they seem to simultaneously rise out of the desert and crumble on to it; their
dramatic geometry, which seems both organized and wild; the way they connect the distant, pre-human past with our
own small, brief lives; the way they embody the on-going, contradictory processes of compaction and erosion, and for
many other reasons, they simply captivate and inspire.

This exhibition is presented in partnership with Joshua Treenial 2025, the exhibition of site-responsive installations
and performances that opened November 8, 2025 in which the artist is also featured. This exhibition ran from
October 18, 2025 until January 5, 2026.

Artist Bio
Ben Allanoff is a visual artist working primarily with steel, rust, plant material, and found objects. In addition to his
gallery pieces, he creates large scale installations for public parks, botanic gardens, universities, and other entities
across the US and in Japan and Mexico. Many of these projects engage the public as collaborator/participants in their
design and/or construction. Presently his work can be seen across the Morongo Basin at the Simi Dabah Sculpture
Foundation, Sky’s the Limit Observatory and Nature Park, Highway Sanctuary, and Furstwurld. He is a featured artist in
Joshua Treenial 2025: Desert Futures.

Prior to his career as a visual artist Allanoff worked as chair of an environmental non-profit dedicated to minimizing
the negative impacts of human activity in a rich and sensitive ecosystem in southern California. His strong connection
to the natural world informs his work as a visual artist.

Allanoff grew up near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduated from Duke University, and lives in Joshua Tree, California,
USA.

www.benallanoff.com