Dust to Dust
For artist Lita Albuquerque, preservation is more than the material—it’s about remembering who we are
Body Content
Lita Albuquerque’s work blends environmental themes, cosmic imagery, and elemental materials. Her practice has evolved from painting to creating site-specific earthworks, to performances, and recently, to incorporating pigments and earthen materials in her studio-based practice.
Filmed in her studio in downtown Los Angeles, the artist reflects on her creative practice and its influences, from her childhood in Tunisia, to her role in the Light and Space movement in Los Angeles, to her overarching fascination and connection with Earth and cosmos. Albuquerque discusses how her work employs natural pigments, rocks, and salt, reminding us of our link to both the planet and the stars. She explores how these materials—charged with history and time—create an intimate connection to the past and the future. For Albuquerque, art conservation is about preserving not just the materials, but the very essence of human experience—our connection to nature, time, and memory.
Watch the video below!
Discover how contemporary artists think about preserving their works in Getty Conservation Institute's Artist Dialogue series, in which artists explore their philosophies, materials, and methods, and share their thoughts on conservation—often for the very first time.
