I had no idea this even existed.
Slab City or The Slabs is a snowbird campsite in the Sonoran Desert 156 miles northeast of San Diego (east of Salton Sea) used by RV owners and squatters from across North America.
It takes its name from the concrete slabs that remain from World War II Marine barracks that were abandoned in the 1950s.
The site is both decommissioned and uncontrolled and has no electricity, no running water, no sewers, toilets, or trash pickup service.
My daughter Stephanie Hart wanted to photograph dilapidated buildings at Salton Sea and came across the place.
Painted bunkers announce your arrival at Slab City – in Niland, California
Located just east of State Route 111, the entrance to Slab City is easily recognized by Salvation Mountain
The colourful three story Salvation Mountain welcomes you.
Salvation Mountain is a small hill approximately three stories high which is entirely covered in acrylic paint, concrete and adobe and festooned with Bible verses. It is a project of over two decades by Leonard Knight (now deceased).
Lots of colourful rooms, areas to see
There are painted old vehicles everywhere
Three stories up at the top of one of the constructions … no rail
And further in there’s a community of artists, East Jesus (which is slang for middle of nowhere) with hundreds of assemblages and installations built out of junk.
The kinetic entry to East Jesus, the art collective (Stephanie’s shot of me)
East Jesus is an experimental, sustainable, habitable, art installation located in the Slab City area. There is no religious connotation in the name East Jesus – it’s a colloquialism for the middle of nowhere
Loved the repurposing of all the old televisions, painted with underlying TV messages
Wall of bottles … made me think of Watts Towers
Possibly the most photographed piece of art there
Stephanie willingly aided my photography by modeling (having been a pro) adding substance and scale.
Slab City: Worth a visit.
—jill bell
Flommist Jill Bell is a lettering artist and type designer. Copyright © 2016 Jill Bell.
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