The Slabbers

In the middle of a barren California desert, down the road from Salvation Mountain, is a 600-acre patch of land called Slab City. Named after the abandoned rectangles of concrete that once held a Marine base, Slab City is now home to those who have nowhere else to go. The land is free but nothing’s easy; there’s no electricity or running water. It’s a completely autonomous existence that seems to suit the “Slabbers,” as they call themselves.

Along with the Erotic Eye Workshop—a photography workshop created by Donna Ferrato that I co-produce—we spent 24 hours in Slab City, where they welcomed us into their community. April 2017.