Salvation Mountain

Article and photography by Natasha Petrosova


"Love Jesus and keep it simple"
Leonard Knight  ( November 1, 1931- February 10, 1914)

Salvation mountain is an installation made of adobe, straw and thousands of gallons of paint.  It was created by late Leonard Knight, an outsider artist, who wanted to spread one simple message - "God is Love and God Loves Everyone".   Salvation Mountain located in Colorado Desert near Niland, CA. It stands by toxic water of Salton Sea  and points the entrance to a  "Trailer Park Utopia" - Slab City.
"In 1966, Knight quit his job and set out to wander across the country in a 1951 Chevrolet truck as a self-proclaimed "hobo bird." Knight was sustained by deep religious convictions when his truck broke down in Nebraska, he stopped traveling and yielded to a vision of creating the world's largest hot air balloon, with the words "God Is Love" painted on the side. He spent ten years building the two hundred foot tall balloon, then packed it into a trailer and left for California, possessed with the idea of displaying a religious message that could be seen for miles."  Leonard arrived to California abandoned military base Camp Dunlap that was transformed into a Slab City with over 5000 residents who lived there rent free in tents or recreational vehicles .   Slab City residents welcomed Leonard like one of their  own and allowed him to continue working on his giant balloon.  When the day came for the first fly, Leonard noticed that balloon was too big and heavy to inflate.  The nylon material also started to rot under hot desert sun.  After his failure to fly a balloon Leonard's hope to display the giant words was thwarted until he  noticed a massive hump of soft stone and dried clays outside the entrance to Slab City. The hill, which he will later  name "Salvation Mountain" .  Leonard started  this project in 1985 and continued working on it for nearly 30 years.  In 2002, Senator Barbara Boxer entered Salvation Mountain to a congressional record as a national treasure and in 2007, film director/actor Sean Penn featured Leonard Knight in his movie "Into the Wild" where Leonard Knight plays himself.  Thousands of people, artists, reporters, photographers from all over the world visit Salvation Mountain each year.  Leonard Knight passed away two years ago at the age of 82.  Unfortunately he is no longer able to be there and greet the visitors.  With Leonard being gone , Salvation Mountain starting to show signs of aging: The color fades and infrastructure is getting destroyed by blistering sun, storms and floods. Leonard's supporters and friends are trying to get help to restore it by collecting donations and asking for volunteers.


References:

Leonard Knight.  http://www.avam.org/our-visionaries/leonard-knight.shtml

Leonard knight , creator of Salvation Mountain ( November 1, 1931- February 10, 1914):  photo courtesy http://alfa-img.com/show/leonard-knight.html

A room insight Salvation Mountain        

A passage insight Salvation Mountain

Installation by Leonard Knight near Salvation Mountain

Leonard's art car installation outside of salvation mountain 

a passage inside Salvation Mountain 

A room inside Salvation Mountain 

 Installation outside Salvation Mountain 

 A boat, Leonard Knight's installation 

 A passage inside Salvation Mountain 

Salvation Mountain from the distance 

Bombay Beach

Article and photography by Natasha Petrosova

Bombay Beach, was established in the 1940s and 50s, as the Salton Sea region 

became a playground for rich and powerful.  The city was on course to 

become Southern California’s own French Riviera, but the steady rise of salinity in

 the Salton Sea led to problems, like massive fish and wildlife deaths. In the 

1970s, a series of tropical storms ruined most of the beach city, and it never 

recovered. Shorefront homes, businesses, and resorts were flooded several 

times, before the water finally settled in the 1980s. Today, most of the city stands 

in ruins, making Bombay Beach visually striking and dramatic. Despite its 

downfall, some residents refused to go, and still gladly live in this semi-ghost

 town.

      I visited the only restaurant for miles around, the Ski Inn, owned by Bombay 

Beach residents, Jane and Wendell Southworth. The Southworths have lived here

 their entire lives, and still remember the city’s mid-60s heyday. Getting ready to 

retire, they recently put their restaurant up for sale. I asked Jane about swimming

 in the Salton Sea, and she said there is nothing at all wrong with the water, 

where she swims daily. In fact, she believes that the water is healing, and 

removes toxins from her skin, keeping it moisturized, clean, and refreshed. 

The couple agreed that Salton Sea tilapia tastes better that any tilapia found in 

the supermarket, however, while taking pictures at Bombay Beach’s shoreline, I 

saw many dead fish, mostly tilapia. Some of the fish floated, while others washed 

up on the shore. Although the July heat made it tempting, I chose not to swim. If 

the water killed all those fish, then swimming might not be the best idea for me.

The sign of Ski Inn Restaurant

Ski Inn Restaurant

Inside Ski Inn Restaurant

Wendell and Jane Southeworth , the owners of Ski Inn and full time residents of Bombay Beach.  

A visitor tapes a dollar bill on the wall of Ski Inn restaurant

Ruins of Shorefront homes in Bombay Beach

Inside the abandoned house

the Living Room

Children room

Ups, left the toy behind 

Living Room

the view

Ruins of shorefront home