Salvation Mountain, Religious folk art site in Imperial County, US
Salvation Mountain is a religious artwork made of clay and straw in the Colorado Desert of California. The five-story structure measures 150 feet (46 m) wide and is painted with Bible phrases, flowers and hearts in bright colors.
Leonard Knight started the first Salvation Mountain in 1984 at Slab City, after a patchwork hot air balloon painted with "GOD IS LOVE" failed to fly. A rainstorm cracked that version in 1989 and it collapsed; he rebuilt with adobe mixed with straw, and in 1998 added the Hogan, a dome inspired by Navajo pueblitos.
Leonard Knight worked alone and refused money because he feared the place would become commercial. The words "God Is Love" appear on the front in different lettering styles, and the whole surface carries Bible verses written in simple language.
Access is possible from sunrise to sunset, and there are no fees. The area is remote and reachable only by unpaved roads, so bring enough water and supplies.
Inside the mountain, a semi-dome called "the museum" holds small objects given by friends and visitors, and is propped up by car parts and a tangle of trees that twist through the top. It is modelled on the patchwork hot air balloon Knight built before the mountain; the balloon is now at the American Visionary Art Museum.
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