Ruth Soller » Wall Street on the Rocks, Canyonlands NP

In Canyonlands National Park in Utah we discovered this unusual rock. Drawn to the forms nature had lacquered onto the surface, I perceived Wall Street on the Rocks. Given the turbulent condition of the stock market in recent years, I found this ancient image symbolic.

A phenomenon known as desert varnish produced this design. Desert varnish is the thin red to black coating found on exposed rock surfaces in arid regions. Varnish is composed of clay minerals, manganese and/or iron, as well as other particles such as sand grains and trace elements.