My mother would take one look at this stuff and snort, “Weird!” And maybe that’s why I dig it so much. The truth is, those weird creative souls who make these things for the world to enjoy are the true artists of our time. But you have to drive way out into the California desert to find them, and just maybe you’ll stumble upon something like this once in a lifetime.
In a tiny hamlet up in the high desert a vacant lot has sprung up in outsider art. A composition inspired by the old expression, “cast pearls before swine” is played out by a cast off pig mama with her brood of piglets. They’re arranged among the weeds next to a rusted out 1930s car body. The sign bids locals to bring strands of cheap beads and they appear as if by magic.
Elsewhere in the lot is another community expression. Inside a circle of stones is a sign that says “It is better to give to the circle than to take”. Over time folks have brought all sorts if things to make their contribution. The circle is filled and comfortable seating is provided for those who wish to take in this spontaneous sculpture garden of outsider art.
Let not the modernists be ignored here. Three chairs with pots are truly sculptural.
For the garden designer in all of us there is much to learn here. Art happens. Beauty is where you find it. Seeds of great design lie in spontaneous expression. Even the most unlikely things can be beautiful. While the sign says to give to the circle, this is one garden that lets you take away a mind full of fresh, unpretentious ideas.