East Jesus (Niland)

East Jesus is an experimental, environmentally friendly, and instructive art project located in Imperial County, California. Here, artists from diverse backgrounds have expanded upon Charlie Russell's initial idea, who transformed a trash-strewn area of desert into a venue for modern art. It is one of the art installations worth a day trip from Los Angeles.

In 2007, Charlie Russell left his position in technology and moved to the Sonoran Desert's Slab City, an off-grid retirement community. His first objective was to work on Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain, a well-known painted hill next to Slab City's entrance. The sculpture garden, a work of art that has been created throughout the years by hundreds of artists, is what attracts curious people the most.

All of the sculptures were created using waste materials, including some that were recovered from Burning Man. A mammoth constructed of flat tires, a mutant albino whale made of 4,000 plastic bags, a mansion that appears to be sinking into the sand, and a wall of sarcastic TVs are just a few examples of the sculptures you may view at East Jesus.

Location: 23 Sidewinder Rd, Niland

Website: http://eastjesus.org/

Entrance fee: Free