Denise Brook

Denise Brook is a contemporary artist and illustrator based in San Diego, California. My work is a mixture of nostalgia, humor, sarcasm, current and past events, and occasionally an animal.

These paintings were inspired by an article I read about how the city of Palm Springs forcibly displaced Black and Latino families from an area known as Section 14 during the 1950s and 60s to build luxury hotels, shops, and other commercial development. Initially, they cut off electricity and sewage to “encourage” the residents to leave. When that didn’t work, they bulldozed or burned down their homes and personal possessions to drive them out.

Having spent a lot of time in Palm Springs and Indio — so close to home — the stark contrast between the backdrop of palm trees, perfectly manicured golf courses, polo fields, crystal-clear swimming pools, luxury retail shops, the Rat Pack, and the colors of the desert sky, the juxtaposition to the raw reality of Section 14 struck me profoundly — I had no idea. The article served as the inspiration for these works about how people have ugly secrets, and hidden agendas. 

We don’t have any idea of why the palm tree is burning in the first painting, but the second painting of the same woman’s hand, holding matches (that say “When in Palm Springs visit section 14”) may be an indication.