Leonard Knights
homage to his faith, Salvation Mountain.
June 2018
SALVATION MOUNTAIN
In the southern California desert, an hour and a half south of Palm Springs, lies the profound, visionary sculpture of Leonard Knight, Salvation Mountain.
Sitting at the entrance to Slab City, rising organically from the harsh, desert landscape, Knight’s 28 year labour of love is a site to behold.
Constructed from local abode, straw and thousands of gallons of technicoloured lead free paint, the man made mountain is covered in biblical and religious scriptures, a tribute to Knights faith. A faith so strong that saw him reestablish his life here in this remote, secluded enviroment, inhabited by the desert loners, the hermits and the eccentrics. For three decades home for Knight was the back of a truck without the luxury of running water or electricity just his beloved entourage of cats seemingly undeterred by the brutal desert heat and howling winds.
On arriving you are free to roam at your leisure, there are signs asking you to adhere to the “yellow brick road’ which gently winds up the side of the terraced three story high mountain. The view from the top stretches down through the valley and across the desert badlands to ranges in the distance. The sheer scale of Knight’s creation can be felt from up here, adding to the wonder and admiration of his dedication.
There are two distinct areas of the mountain. The mountain itself and to the right a newer addition, a Hogan, a domed shaped home which was built after a donation of 200 hay bails were gifted and turned into what is known as “the museum” You can meander through these dome like structures, brushing past some of the exposed branches which Knight used in his construction. Three meter high ceilings constructed from old tires and wood scavenged from the surrounding desert are flanked by his exuberant folk art, mixtures of stars and stripes, flowers, trees, waterfalls, and bluebirds.
Inside the Museum domes of Salvation Mountain
In 2002 the site was even entered into the Congressional Record as a National Treasure in 2002 by Senator Barbara Boxer. “Seen from afar, Salvation Mountain is an unlikely mass of technicolor shapes and textures,” she said. “Up close, it is an iridescent fusion of doves, clouds, flags, flowers, hearts, streams, Biblical messages, and countless other images… It is a sculpture for the ages–profoundly strange and beautifully accessible, and worthy of the international acclaim it receives.”
It is not just these massive structures that have been decorated by Knight but also the vehicles that surround the base of the mountains each one a creative masterpiece.
