"Desert surface" refers to the top layer or ground of a desert, which is the sandy or rocky area that covers the land in a desert environment. It is the dry and arid ground you would commonly find in deserts. Full definition
However, Celmins is best known for her similarly precise depictions of nature, illusionistically rendering images of oceans, spider webs, night skies, and desert surfaces in a palette of grays and blacks. (artspace.com)
Suddenly, a visit to the New York museum was highlighted by Vija's desert surface works.As the 1970s were passing by, Celmins also started sculpting a lot more than in earlier periods of her life. (widewalls.ch)
In addition to skulls and bones, you also can see several tombs centuries old, as well as long human hairs, ceramic fragments and others remains scattered on the desert surface. (sastravelperu.com)