EMOTIONALANDSCAPES
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ryan heffington
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I’ve always been captivated by emotional range —how face, voice, and fingers can hold multitudes at once. It reminds me of the richness of human emotion—how complex, layered, and ever-shifting we are, like light refracted through a prism. There’s a raw honesty in bodily expression and this has deeply inspired me.
That same complexity, I explore within my choreography and photography. I strive to create a space where people feel invited in—where movement becomes a shared language. Each gesture is rooted in something human. It’s not about what the body does, but about what it communicates and how it connects us.
Living in the desert has only amplified this connection for me between the inner and outer world. I’ve come to see myself reflected in this raw landscape where I've found pieces of myself. This dialogue is manifested in EMOTIONALANDSCAPES.
Open Gallery hours: 5/31, 6/1, 6/7, 6/8 3-5 pm
or by appointment, email RSVP@desertrade.com
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To inquire or purchase, email caroline@desertrade.com
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6750 Sherman Rd, 29 Palms CA
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Purchase 5x7 Postcards here
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Bouldering (2025)
24” x 36”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$700
Bouldering (2025)
12” x 18”, UNFRAMED
$250
Lost or Found (2025)
24” x 36”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$700
Lost or Found (2025)
12” x 18”, UNFRAMED
$250
ESP (2025)
24” x 36”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$700
ESP (2025)
12” x 18”, UNFRAMED
$250
Invasive Species (2025)
24” x 36”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$700
Invasive Species (2025)
12” x 18”, UNFRAMED
$250
Burden (2025)
24” x 36”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$700
Burden (2025)
12” x 18”, UNFRAMED
$250
LIVVING (2025)
30” x 44”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$700
LIVVING (2025)
15” x 22”, UNFRAMED
$250
Native (2025)
48” x 32”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$750
Native (2025)
24” x 16”, UNFRAMED
$275
98.6 (2025)
30” x 60”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$1000
98.6 (2025)
15” x 30”, UNFRAMED
$300
Heat Stroke (2025)
30” x 48”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$950
Heat Stroke (2025)
15” x 24”, UNFRAMED
$300
The Weight of Silence (2025)
20” x 30”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$500
The Weight of Silence (2025)
10” x 15”, UNFRAMED
$200
Have you ever died? (2025)
8” x 12”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$350
Have you ever died? (2025)
8” x 12”, UNFRAMED
$100
Invasive Species (still am) (2025)
24” x 36”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$700
Invasive Species (still am) (2025)
12” x 18”, UNFRAMED
$250
Touch and Go (2025)
20” x 30”, Inkjet print on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper, FRAMED
Edition of 3
$500
Touch and Go (2025)
10” x 20”, UNFRAMED
$200
Occasionally someone rattles the arts industry cage so hard that they demand a rethink of what constitutes good, satisfying and important practice.
In contemporary dance that player is Ryan Heffington.
- Hole & Corner Magazine
In March 2020, Ryan Heffington became a north star of empowerment and self-expression for hundreds of thousands of people through his free, online dance class SWEATFEST. Together with his community they raised over 300k for charities that supported numerous organizations for marginalized groups. Heffington’s 2022 TED TALK angles on accessing happiness through movement - another vehicle to get the world to dance, which has been a goal of Ryan’s since his mid 20’s.
Heffington is also a Grammy and Emmy winning choreographer. Pioneering contemporary dance in a commercial context, Heffington’s global exposure came after Sia’s “Chandelier” (winner MTV’s Best Choreography of the Year Award) in 2014. Since, other notable works include HBO’S Euphoria (Emmy for Best Choreography), Spike Jonze’s commercials for Kenzo World (winner Cannes Grand Prix) and Apple’s “Welcome Homepod” featuring FKA Twigs (winner Cannes highest award Titanium Lion), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film directorial debut Tick, Tick…Boom!, and Netflix’s groundbreaking television series The OA.
The Hammer, MOCA, The Broad, The Geffen and L.A.C.E. have served as a stage for Heffington's choreographic work. Heffington Moves MOCA via The Engagement Party (2010) invited Ryan to present 3 pieces in 3 months. His third piece in the series HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT broke attendance records and changed the face of performance art in Los Angeles.
Heffington resides in 29 Palms, CA just north of Joshua Tree National Park. Here the objective of his legacy project and artist residency, DESERTRADE, is to create healthier humans through physical, visual and culinary arts with a focus on community and mental health. From contemporary choreographers to Oaxacan chefs, the residency has already housed 10+ artists and continues to thrive with monthly programming deepening the richness of the Mojave’s cultural landscape.
www.ryanheffington.com
EMOTIONALANDSCAPES is proudly supported by Visit 29 Palms’ Sponsorship and Event Grant Program.
SPRING 2025