Women and children – posturing, gazing, playing on bed frames – become “coincidental subjects,” their vivid garments sharply accentuated against the muted earth tones of the vast Taklamakan Desert. This far west region of China (Xinjiang), home to the Uyghur people, is a place Lisa Ross has imaged and imagined for over 15 years. Recently, the Chinese state has amplified its efforts to forcibly assimilate minority populations, imbuing the artist with a sense of urgency to display these pictures.