Salvation Mountain – the outsider art of Leonard Knight – illustrated his message that God Is Love. It was constructed near Slab City in the California desert. Where else could it have been built? It remains a symbol of what Knight believed, as well as a powerful piece of folk art.
Simon Rodia single-handedly built the Watts Towers. It was the work of a lifetime, except Rodia was able to finish his art and walk away. In many ways his story personifies the legend of Fisher King who was compelled to fish, until Parsifal asked a question that healed the king. Rodia demonstrated both the powers of his art and an archetype of personal transformation.