Wednesday, December 26, 2012

East Jesus



As the largest art installation in Slab City, East Jesus, an artist colony, begs to be discovered.  It’s a little off the beaten path but well worth the visit.  The ever-changing group that works here are completely self-contained, relying on the sun to power their existence.  The late Charles Russell created East Jesus in 2006 and described his vision in this way.
Wedged between the Chocolate Mountain Gunnery Range and the Salton Sea in southern California's exotic Imperial Valley, East Jesus is an experimental, comprehensive habitat and artwork comprising vernacular architecture, technophilia, common-sense environmentalism, desert survival and sculpture/assemblage using predominantly recycled, re-purposed or discarded materials, sublimating the unwanted and ugly into the purposefully beautiful. The main structure is built around a 27' fiberglass shipping container, extended by walls composed of junk (lockers, computers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, bookshelves, tool chests, shipping crates, TVs and other electronics) and recycled, re-used lumber and steel.


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

My First Book

Slab City- Then and Now is finally finished!

It's 40 pages and has lots of pictures from Slab City's past (as a military base) and pictures of the way it looks now.  Here's an excerpt.


From the moment you pass the first guard shack on your way into Slab City, it’s pretty clear that you’ve left conventionality behind. Ahead of you lies a place where rules are few and individuality reigns supreme.  No plumbing, no electricity, and no running water and yet hundreds of people call Slab City home for part of each year. 

Despite the primitive conditions, Slab City offers visitors and residents alike, many amenities without the ever-present oversight of local government.  Enclosed within its borders, Slab City has a church, a library, a restaurant, art exhibits, a music venue, internet cafĂ©, radio station, mechanical repair, pet graveyard, golf course, and barbershop.
 
 
It's listed on eBay and will soon be available on Amazon in both a paperback format as well as an ebook download.  Here's my website address:  www.slabcitybook.com.
 
Thanks to everyone that helped me on this project.
 

Friday, November 16, 2012

Back to the Slabs

Well, another summer has come and gone and I find myself chasing the sun again.  I'm in Slab City for the winter, hanging out with friends I met last year.  Nightly fire ring conversations, crisp, cool mornings followed by sun packed afternoons are the norm here. If you're in the area, look me up. I'm at 200 Fred St. on the south end of the Slabs.


Saturday, September 15, 2012

Church on Wheels

Not far from my property in Concho, Az, I found this. After asking questions of people in my area, I found out that this miniature church on wheels was a parade float built by the Mormons for local parade use. The wheels and tires are missing but the frame and most of the float remains.


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Concho Morning Walk

Here are a few pics from my morning walk with maci.


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Winter In Slab City


When the temperatures start to dip in the winter time, my thoughts turn to the warm, dry heat of the southern California deserts.  This year I wintered over in the famous (or infamous) Slab City, just east of Niland, CA on the eastern side of the Salton Sea.  There is plenty of room for everyone and "Snowbirds" from cold, snowy states arrive to stretch their feathers and enjoy days in the 70's and 80's.  The area has several club houses, a church, two music venues, an internet cafe, a library, pet cemetary and a couple of "restaurants", though I wasn't brave enough to dine in one.  Here are a few pictures from the area.







Yuma Proving Grounds


As you leave Yuma, AZ heading north on I95 toward Quartzite, the Yuma Proving Grounds will be on your left and offer a nice rest stop with tanks and guns from earlier wars.  All the photos in this post were process with nothing more than Picasa 3 (a Google product that is completely free to use).  The photos speak for themselves.