Anti-communism in the desert

Just outside of Barstow, in tiny Yermo, California, is Eddie World. Adorned with a giant ice cream sundae, it seems more in the spirit of something along Route 66 rather than in this somewhat bleak desert. Even more out of place is the new sculpture garden next door, the Liberty Sculpture Park, with the sign at the entrance warning “No communists allowed!”

The sculpture park, you are already guessing correctly, is made up of sculptures opposed to communism, especially the Chinese brand of communism. Mostly the work of one artist, Chen Weiming (often written on the artwork’s information panels as Weiming Chen), the park displays over a dozen large-scale works.

When we visited, the temperature was approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the light was so bright I could not make out most of the time what was on the screen of my iPhone Camera app. Nevertheless, I was able to make images of the sculptures, which are displayed here without any further commentary.

Victims of Communism memorial, by Chen Weiming