Salvation Mountain

November 14, 2001 12:14 AM

Salvation Mountain is Leonard Knight's grand tribute to God. Whether or not one shares his beliefs, his accomplishment is admirable, and his artwork often breathtaking. The Mountain has become a popular stopover for fans of folk art. Godfrey Daniels spoke with Leonard a while ago about his life, his art, and his love for all of creation. What's your favorite labor of love?
posted by Optamystic (7 comments total)

I was lucky enough to visit Salvation Mountain a few years ago and talk with Leonard. There's obviously many odd things about the man - if I remember right, he told me he found the location after the hot air balloon he was travelling in crashed - but I have enormous respect for anyone who dedicates their life to such creativity. And I can't overstate how welcoming and generous Leonard was, without being forcefully evangelical (although the giant mountain reading 'God is Love' probably did the job for him!) Only downside is the almost undeniable environmental damage his thousands of gallons of toxic vinyl paint must be doing.
posted by skylar at 3:48 AM on November 14, 2001

I was going to comment on the environmental aspect.
posted by rushmc at 7:19 AM on November 14, 2001

My favorite labor of love is the navigation model of the website: "these sections can be accessed by clicking on the hearts at the center of the tire truck. Roll your mouse pointer over them to see what section they link to."

Blech.
posted by Tubes at 7:38 AM on November 14, 2001

outsider art/art brut, check out the watts towers.
'Without benefit of special equipment, scaffolding, or drawing board designs, Rodia worked alone on his towers using simple tile-setter's tools and a window washer's belt and buckle..... The tallest tower is nearly 100 feet high and contains the longest slender column of reinforced concrete in the world. '
posted by asok at 9:38 AM on November 14, 2001

I only gave Knight's work a cursory glance, but I prefer the work of Howard Finster who recently passed away. Members of R.E.M. were fans and even had him do the cover art to Reckoning.
posted by scottfree at 12:06 PM on November 14, 2001

"Everybody seems to love the mountain! "
I loved it.
Thanks for these links Optamystic, what a delightful man.
posted by Catch at 12:36 PM on November 14, 2001

I'm a fan of the Walker Rock Garden in Seattle. Unfortunately, these pictures don't do it justice.
posted by shinybeast at 10:27 PM on November 14, 2001