Salvation Mountain

I’ve become fascinated by what is commonly known as Outsider Architecture, a creative endeavor typically initiated on the fringes of mainstream construction, by someone with little or no formal training in architecture.

Leonard Knight is one such practitioner. He has been working on Salvation Mountain, located outside of Niland, CA for decades now. The fruit of his labors include a painted hill slope (made of layer upon layer of paint); a series of spaces constructed out of hay bales, tree trunks and branches, and miscellaneous items of found debris; as well as a few intricately decorated vehicles, including a truck, a few cars and a boat. Leonard himself is still at the site, greeting visitors and working on his masterpiece whenever he can.

Part of the appeal of the place is the fact that it’s located in such an isolated and desolate place. The bright colors and sheer scale of Leonard’s work is all the more remarkable. For additional shots click on the image below.