East Jesus Art Garden

There are few things more unexpected than an art museum in the middle of the desert. Meet the East Jesus Art Garden, an outdoor collection of art by different artists, all from found objects. It’s amazing. And it takes recycling to a whole ‘nother level.

This is the entrance, and, yes, the wheels spin in the wind. It’s the first indication that you’re in for a most interesting time, courtesy of the artists Charlie Russell and Royce Carlson.

There’s a little four-banger car covered with found objects, from shell casings to circuit boards. You may need a bigger screen to see all the things the artist has recycled into something unique and, yes, fun!

This was one panel of a four-sided tower. I just love it, and I’m not sure why. Sometimes art goes straight to the heart and skips all the words and analysis.

This one looks like Dorothy’s attic, if it had landed here instead of in Oz. I especially like the guitar in the corner. The artists, Ben Wolf and Heidi Tullmann, used their time in Detroit and New Orleans as inspiration for this piece.

Sometimes the photographer can be quite self-referential when taking photographs at an exhibition.

There’s so much going on in this piece, I don’t know where to look but everywhere I look, there’s something to see.

I think I used a monitor like that one at the top, back in the day. And some of those other pieces too. Many artworks here use parts of technological things abandoned at dumps, like TVs, computers, CDs, and printers.

I saved my favorite image for last. Here, the artist, Flip Cassidy, has taken dozens of TV sets, and painted their own messages on them, intermixed with quotations from TV shows. Plastic chairs (with remotes you can’t see here) are thoughtfully provided for visitors to “watch” the TVs.

Even though this piece isn’t new, it’s timeless. We’re obsessed with TV shows and other peoples’ opinions instead of being creative ourselves. Not enough time in the day? Give away your TV. You’ll gain back hours a day for your own creativity and adventures.

The art here, and the artists who run it and are happy to talk about their work and their museum, really made me think about what art is and who can be an artist. Anyone can make this stuff, you just have to be ready to play, to commit, to do something instead of think you can’t do anything. So go on, jump out of your little box and create something amazing. I dare you.

(To learn more about this unique place, check out eastjesus.org and the art garden link.)