Showing posts sorted by relevance for query salvation mountain. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query salvation mountain. Sort by date Show all posts

Mar 26, 2010

Salvation Mountain: Indio Outio

Day Five (08.27.09) Of all the places we visited, Salvation Mountain was the one that made me realize I was never going to forget this road trip. Much like the Salton Sea in general, this man-made mountain of paint is so incredibly different and unique, it's almost dream-like when you find yourself practically alone in a setting like this.

Created by Leonard Knight, I first came to know of Salvation Mountain from the movie Into the Wild. There's a scene where Emile Hirsch's character is given a tour by Knight and I was captivated. I never really pictured myself getting there necessarily, but it's funny how those plans came together - how my interest in Indio lead to the Salton Sea which lead to Salvation Mountain.



Another interesting fact about this site is that it's built on government land and for years had been threatened with removal. Until 2002 when senator Barbara Boxer took interest and helped Salvation Mountain gain special designation as a national treasure - an honour held by only one other landmark, Mount Rushmore. The coincidence in this is that the last major road trip I went on before this one was to Mount Rushmore - you can see the edits here.

Dave and I took full advantage of the experience. When we arrived Leonard was giving a tour to a group of girls, and we all met up as he told us we could walk the yellow path up to the top of the mountain if we wanted to. Naturally we said yes, we had no idea he'd let us walk on his art, but when considering how hands-on the construction must've been there's really no better way to experience it.





We walked the winding path, marveling at the intricate details (like the litte coloured flowers) and were rewarded with a spectacular view at the top.

The setting sun gave the desert a rich golden hue, and the colours of Salvation Mountain only looked further saturated by the contrasting monochromatic landscape that surrounded it. There were miles of desert, hills, and small glimpses of civilization. None more present than Slab City - a community of nomads, off the grid. But ultimately, it was quiet and refreshingly secluded. A scene that almost forces you to be alone with your thoughts; comfortably at peace.




While the messaging (God is Love, etc.) is strong, and the display eccentric, there was nothing scary about Leonard himself. If there was one word I'd choose to describe him it's passionate. He really just wanted to make his mark, to express love, and devote his life to a higher purpose - whether religious or not you have to value his commitment and vision to make a positive impact. After we came down from the mountain and had our private look around, we approached Leonard to talk (see the next video).

I'm still pinching myself that several thousand kilometers from home we found ourselves talking casually, face to face, with the man who built this hidden treasure in the middle of nowhere. 





Nov 26, 2010

Salvation Mountain

There are places that immediately distinguish themselves as one of a kind. When getting my first glance of Salvation Mountain just outside of Niland, California it was clear that we were about to experience something we wouldn't soon forget.

Created by Leonard Knight, Salvation Mountain is a shrine created from hay bails, old telephone poles, and layers upon layers of paint. Everything at the site has been decorated in such bright colors it gives the impression of a cartoon-like atmosphere. Leonard lives at the site, and despite being in his eighties now is more than happy to give you a personal tour and share his stories.


I first heard about Salvation Mountain after watching Into the Wild - a portion of the film takes place in Slab City which you can see from the site. At first I expected Leonard Knight to be overly eccentric, maybe even a little scary, but the reality is that all that apprehension disappears when meeting him face to face. He wasn't pushy about religion and he didn't seem to have any motive for making money from the visits, instead he was simply proud to share and talk about what has become his masterpiece.

I think the photographs speak volumes about the level of detail and originality that exist in this quiet site off the eastern shore of the Salton Sea. It was undoubtedly one of the biggest highlights from our 2009 cross country road trip.

You can read more about my experience and watch the original edits I made of the location by visiting my Indio Outio posts for Salvation Mountain and Leonard Knight.





Oct 11, 2011

Salvation Mountain Project

I've had it in my mind for some time to create something special with all of the footage I shot on the road in 2009.  Of that footage, my favorite scenes include those that I shot at Salvation Mountain near Niland, California.  My friend Dave and I had spent the day exploring the areas around the Salton Sea and capped it all off with a trip out to Leonard Knight's epic art project in the middle of nowhere.

Last month Dave passed away and this ultimately brought all of the memories from our road trips flooding back.  I started reviewing the footage I shot and began to find some inspiration.  There's a story in that footage and a short film there that I now feel compelled to create.  Part documentary, part poetic experiment, I'm already visualizing what a rewarding and challenging edit this will be for me.  It's a way for me to honor my memories with Dave, to emphasize what our experience at Salvation Mountain was like, to reflect on my views of life and death, and to really address my own emotions and frustrations with losing such a close friend.

My goal is to keep this project under five minutes in length, which will really help me to condense and further define my thoughts about this entire experience.  While I've just begun outlining exactly what I plan on doing, I'm feeling ambitious and charged to really create something special and personal that I could see myself submitting to short film festivals.  This already feels different from any of the other videos I've ever created or worked on, but I think it also plays on my strengths as an editor and the archival video work that I've done in the past.

I look forward to sharing more about this project in the coming weeks.

Salvation Mountain near Niland, California.

May 1, 2015

Exploring the Salton Sea

My recent road trip around the Salton Sea in Southern California was motivated by my desire to retrace the steps I took with my friend Dave in 2009 and 2010. When he passed away suddenly a year after that last road trip, I started working on a personal project about our first visit to Salvation Mountain. The area has only become more compelling to me as a result. 

On my tour around the Salton Sea I visited abandoned structures and ruins in Bombay Beach, Salton City, North Shore, Niland and Salton Sea Beach. I also explored East Jesus in Slab City, and took several trips to photograph Salvation Mountain. My return to the North Shore Yacht Club was also memorable. As was my impromptu photo shoot with the mysterious boxes around the Red Hill Marina. With large gaps between my visits the changes to these places have always seemed extreme. Perhaps it's part of what keeps calling me back to the Salton Sea.
















Dave and I exploring the Salton Sea in 2010.
Bombay Beach Ruins




A photo shoot with the mysterious boxes around the Red Hill Marina.