The secret anarchist mecca hidden in the California desert

Slab City — Tucked away between the Sunshine state’s remote military zones, Slab City has become an unlikely home for nomads, drifters and addicts who have been left behind by American society. In a new project, photographer Laura Henno offers a fresh perspective on the community’s everyday reality.

Just 153 miles of San Diego, there’s a large sprawling encampment, fashioned from the rusting vehicles and the dusty detritus of the Sonoran Desert. Slab City, as its affectionately known, appears something out of an apocalyptic Mad Max film set. “It’s a place always balancing between heaven and hell,” says the photographer and film-maker, Laura Henno, who began documenting the site and its denizens, last year.

Henno, whose work centres on the groups who have been marginalised in society, will be showcasing her ongoing project, Outremonde (Underworld) at Les Rencontres d’Arles. Consisting of a photographic series and a short film, the project takes its name from a Don DeLillo novel, wherein America’s buried ‘trash’ – both figuratively and physically – refuses to remain repressed and erupts from the collective consciousness.

While it’s not intended as a representation, Henno’s project is a ‘citation’ of the book. “The name reflects the strange world Slab City is,” says Henno, “It really is a parallel world.”

Ethan, Outremonde (USA), 2017

Ethan, Outremonde (USA), 2017


The last remaining free US territory, Slab City was set up on the decommissioned base of Camp Dunlap, a former World War II barracks. While it was dismantled in 1956, a faction of soldiers stayed. Since then, it’s become a mecca for anarchists, nomadic snowbirds in plush caravans, drifters, the desperately poor, and addicts; each with different reasons to live off-grid, but almost all of whom are unable to afford the rising costs of modern-day America.

“There are so many bad stories about Slab,” Henno says, “There is a lot of visual violence: burnt trailers, garbage, abandoned junk. You’re between [active] military zones, so every day there is the sound of gunfire. It’s extremely hot, and you have no water or electricity. There is nothing.”

Despite it all, Henno points out: “We were supposed to spend three weeks there… We ended up staying two months.”

The ministry of church, Outremonde (USA), 2017

The ministry of church, Outremonde (USA), 2017

 

“The main media representation of Slab City is this apocalyptic world, with all these ‘creepy’ people, and drug addicts,” continues Henno. “That’s why I wanted to focus on its other side.”

Instead of aestheticising misery, Henno decided to focus on daily life: youth catching the school bus, a church service led by Pastor Dave, every inch the croaky rock-star when he bursts into hymn, and a young evangelist, Nicholas, excitedly watering seedlings in a shared vegetable garden. “I was more interested in the community: love and good feelings that occur in Slab,” she says.

Through her gentle, quiet, documentation, Henno’s project follows a band of endearing characters surviving in their wild, barren surroundings. Just as Slab City offers a place for societal outcasts, Henno’s work creates space for people outside of the stereotypes they are often labelled with.

“I’m interested in the fractures found in society,” says Henno. “It’s important to think about inequality and why we can’t go wherever we want. For me, [the camera] is a way to change perceptions of people, to better understand the world we live in and understand why we have created a system that leaves people out of it.” 

Maryann and Jack-Jack, Outremonde (USA),   2017

Maryann and Jack-Jack, Outremonde (USA), 2017

Pastor Dave preaching, Outremonde (USA), 2017

Pastor Dave preaching, Outremonde (USA), 2017

Maryann Jack, Ethan and Jack-Jack, Outremonde (USA), 2017

Maryann Jack, Ethan and Jack-Jack, Outremonde (USA), 2017

Raven and Michael, Outremonde (USA), 2017

Raven and Michael, Outremonde (USA), 2017

Laura Henno: Redemption, part of the festival Les Rencontres de la Photographie, runs from July 2 to August 26 at the Commanderie Sainte-Luce, Arles, France.

Follow Ellie Howard on Twitter.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Elderly man with glasses, white hair, and suit; young woman with long brown hair playing electric guitar on stage in green jacket.
Activism

Bernie Sanders introduces Clairo at Coachella, urging young Americans to “stand up for justice”

Coachella charmed — The Vermont Senator praised the singer-songwriter for her efforts in raising awareness of women’s rights issues and Gaza.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Vans

The Changing Face Of Brooklyn, New York’s Most Colourful Borough

After three decades spent capturing stories around the world, Magnum Photographer Alex Webb finally decided to return home to Brooklyn – a place that champions chaos, diversity and community spirit.

Written by: Alex Webb / Magnum Photos

Black and white image of subway carriage interior with sleeping man seated on bench
Culture

The mundane bliss of New York’s subways in the ’70s

NYC Passengers 1976-1981 — During a very different decade in NYC, which bounced between rich creativity and sketchiness, photographer Joni Sternbach captured the idiosyncratic isolation found on its rail networks.

Written by: Miss Rosen

A man playing a guitar whilst a horse stands beside him in a rocky, moonlit landscape.
Music

Analogue Appreciation: lullahush

Ithaca — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, it’s Irish retro-futurist lullahush.

Written by: lullahush

Two people of unidentified gender intimately embracing and kissing on a bed.
Culture

Spyros Rennt captures connection and tenderness among Berlin’s queer youth

Intertwined — In the Greek photographer’s fourth photobook, he lays out spreads of togetherness among his friends and the German capital’s LGBTQ+ party scene.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Surfers against sewage protest box floating in water with people swimming around it.
© Alex Brown / Surfers Against Sewage
Sport

The rebellious roots of Cornwall’s surfing scene

100 years of waveriding — Despite past attempts to ban the sport from beaches, surfers have remained as integral, conservationist presences in England’s southwestern tip. A new exhibition in Falmouth traces its long history in the area.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.