Cast From Sand; Bible Land I (destroyed)
by Pasadena Adjacent
It is our honor to have the cooperation of Mr V on this installment
Long ago (11/03 /78 – 11/26/78 ) in a era of self actualization, between 8.Track and cassette, Mr V had a dream. He proposed walking 130 miles from the Pacific Ocean in Venice California to the top of Palm Springs adjacent Mount San Jacinto. He reasoned that the experience could be documented through photography and recorded observation. OCMA agreed to show it, Mr Lear agreed to fund it and the Getty (decades later) agreed to put it online. Introducing “Victor Henderson Takes a Walk” The above photo was used as the cassette’s cover image.
What Mr V didn’t realize was that he was documenting a landscape in transition. The “lurking desert underneath whose roots can not be disguised” was to find itself further covered with housing tracks, outlet malls, and a conspicuous gambling resort. Never the less, after having made enemies of Montebello and Pico Rivera, Mr V still managed to engage in a few dubious friendships along the way (Fontana).
After trudging 75 miles over spartan terrain; Mr V was met with a sign
Much “like the grains of sand through the hour glass” what was lost in time, given the mad rush of desert development was sand artist Ted.Conibear’s “itinerant Jesus Show”
Ted Conibear, the most prominent sand artist of all time, upon his 1994 death left behind his final creation “Bible Land II” resting on the side of the road off Interstate 10. Considered a multi media sculptor; Mr Conibear, early in his Detroit based career, worked with mutton tallow, wax and papier-mache. When not providing the entertainment for charitable organizations, he would use the refrigeration units aquired while employed by differing state fairs, allowing him to sculpt with ice and unsalted butter.
Ted moved westward spreading his sand art far and wide (most notably in Arizon and California). His specialty being “The Last Supper” of which he had sculpted 10 versions. The above photo is of Jesus at Gethsemane. Part of an earlier 1957 version of Bible Land located near Temecula (destroyed).
“Suffer the Little Children (including Mr V) to Come Unto Me” Mark 10:13-16
Interstate adjacent “Bible Land II” had narrative dioramas set up within the niches provided by a row of four concrete caves. Look closley and you can see the beginnings of the cave in the upper right hand corner of the above image.
After Ted Conibear’s 1994 death the question arose as to who would keep Yucaipa’s Bibleland afloat. The evangelical community unaccustomed to supporting the arts, failed at organizing a solid plan of action. The story goes that Ted Conibear on his death bed expressed a wish that rather then seeing “Bible Land II” fall prey to vandalism, he had asked his son to destroy the work instead. Contradicting this claim is Danial Carpenter who from 1987 to 1994 along with his mother and sister lived with Ted Conibear helping him take care of the land and statues.
“I’ve always wanted the world to know that this man had dreams of keeping his work alive, he taught me how to make the statues using only sand, water, and a spoon!!! His son DON Conibear was the athiest who ordered all the statues demo’d. and handed the land over to South Mountain Water company of Redlands, but for those of use who knew Ted and shared in his life’s work we will remember him forever!”
The End
Our Editor Retracts: Ted Conibear’s son Donald L Conibear explains Bible Land’s demise (the 8/23/11 comment on this thread)
“I am Don Conibear, son of Ted Conibear the creator of Bibleland. There is a lot of mis-information in the above comments. First, I am not an athiest. At the time of Dad’s passing his work had grossly deteriorated due to wind erosion, insects and the fact that dad had not been able to properly maintain the statues for several years. We, the family agnoized over the disposition of Dad’s work. Efforts were made to organize an enity to maintain and preserve his Bibleland. There was interest from several sources, but no funds. After close to a year the decision was made to take down his work. By this time things had deteriorated to the point that we felt that if it were to be restored. so much needed to be done that it would no longer be Dad’s work. This was a very difficult decision, knowing that it would be gone for ever. South Mountian Water Co. were saints. Dad had not been able to make a lease payment for five or six years, yet they allowed Bibleland to remain. There was no monetary transactions between me or the family and SMWC.
The land for Temecula Bibleland was leased from Dr. Rudolf Rodriguez of Los Angeles. Another saint for working with Dad and allowing him to stay on for a pitence of a lease payment.
I would very Much like to know the name of the Air Force sargent that posed for Thaddeus. (not Mathew)”
In His Beat (article)
The Sand Man (article)
Bible Land Moves (article)
Pat Morrison LA Times (article)
Pasadena Adjacent 
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Installment Thirteen of my series examining the “Secret, Feral and Concrete”
The images appearing on this blog post (with the exception of Jesus at Gethsemane) are from slides Mr V allowed me to have made into digital files. The information available on the work of Ted Conibear is scarce and visual documentation even scarcer. Through the archives of Desert Magazine I was able to find some information on Mr Conibear’s life
“Mr V Takes a Walk” is a two sided cassette. The on-line segment is that of the Getty’s choosing although all references to Bela Lugosi are welcomed. Cassette-CD…..found a local source
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You continue to amaze me! Yet another one!
I’d love to see Mr. V’s journey. These are great, PA. As for cassette to CD, any transfer place could do it but I think you can also find some kind of kit online to hook up your cassette player to your computer to convert to CD or an MP3 file.
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Love the story of the sand Jesus family…also Mr. V’s ire over the hideousness of taco stands in “dry desolate smalltime Montebello” and the reverie on trains in space.
Mr. V. is so sympathetic to the plight of vampires.
Will the fantasy of Los Angeles ever die that glorious death? (I hope not because I want to keep chasing it–)
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Thank you Mr. V. The desert does strange things to people. I’ve met some snowbirds, sand rats, and such. I kind of think this chap would have preferred his work melt away rather than suffer the fate of rough hands. Anyone who works in butter values time in a different way.
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Love the Getty recording of Mr. V.
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I should say “featuring” Mr. V’s recording. I love that hideous white air that goes on and on and on…another taco stand. Great stuff.
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I am of the opinion everyone has some vision of their own private Idaho. Yucaipa notwithstanding.
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I like the meticulous work put on display in such informal settings. I detect Mr Conibear’s self-portrait in “The Sand Man” photo. He obviously didn’t get the quality education that you did and can share with all of us. Based on that little piece of information I’ve actually been doing a little drawing but studiously avoiding producing anything that looks like me, like pill bottles and pump bottles of hand lotion.
I appreciate Mr V’s trek mostly for his ability to tolerate the heat. That’s all I can think about as he walks along, “How hot was it and how did he manage? I hope he had a canteen with him”. (nothing in the way of bottled water way back then but Perrier) It’s marvelous that The Getty is making this available as from an ethnographic point of view the commentary is invaluable. And his dialogue is better than anything I ever think about.
Finally, as always, I enlarged the photos and the eyes on that dog with the elephant – PA, what were you doing????
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‘covered the desert over’ / ‘that Taco stand is the most hiddeous I’ve ever seen’ / ‘dry desolate small time Montebello’ / ‘escape, a ticket out’ … Mr. V. was not a happy camper on that walk. No, no, no… Terrific idea, great initiative. He saw the ‘city’ for what it was, way before the time when realizing we are on top of the desert became chic.
20 yrs ago I’d read a lot of travel books…among them 3 of walking thru: “A Thousand-Mile Summer” Colin Fletcher -length of California – had a thing about bashing rattle snakes; “A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush” Eric Newby (I enjoyed many other Newby’s travel books incl. “The Last Great Grain Race”, and “Journey through Europe” John Hillaby (from the Netherlands to the French Riviera). That & hiking Lone Pine peak are my greatest walking adventures.
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Long ago and not to far away, Mr V went through a performance art period. His first piece in 1977 involved placing video cameras atop rented desert tortoise’ (yes yes I know) and projecting the results on the walls of his corner studio “post no bills” 52 Brooks Ave Venice California. After his “Walk” he teamed up with feminist icon Barbara T Smith in the 1981 performance Birthdaze.
and this because I find it such an interesting back story and I love Pasadena born Barbara
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Blowing Mr V’s horn
“Mr V takes a Walk” occurred over a period of ten days. During that time he was met at hotels by go-between’s who took his recordings and film and had the information processed then placed at the Orange County Museum of Art’s Mr V installation. The recordings were edited and the cassettes sold at the museum. His mother purchased one as well as noted artist Sam Francis. Mr Francis declared it the funniest thing he’d ever heard. Mr V’s mother said nothing.
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Laurie: I figure I’ve got a few left in the series. I want to get this tape on CD pronto. Two copies are here at the house but I don’t dare play them because they’re 30 plus years old. Back in the 90’s I played it for my friends; we were hollering with laughter. It’s really a hoot and I’m not just saying that because…
Mary: it’s this kind of “stinkin thinkin” thats been the glue of our relationship. I love a man with a dark side.
AH: Maybe/maybe not. Ted Conibear’s mutton tallow period took place in Detroit.
Favorite memory told to me by Mr V was when his family came out west from Ohio. He was six and when they reached the desert his father stopped the car and little V bolted out the car door and started running. His father had to tackle him.
Miss H: naw.. thats just the hideous white air of Pomona via Valley Blvd (pretend I’ve made a lexicon if a winking smily face) …
I’ve spared you the photo of Mr V in his walking gear. Shorts that look like a cross between hot pants and cargo pants, a 3/4 sleeve boat neck-T with vertical navy stripes, a red bandana tied around his neck with the bow off to the side and a mini afro.
Linda: Everyone may have a desire for their own private Idaho but few have the vision, obsession and drive to pull it off. My favorite book of all time
Paula: You over estimate the value of my education. In Pasadena, having your kids end up in a state is considered a parental failure; and in the arts you can forget about a career in Academia (teaching). We made other plans. On the plus side it cost me 60 bucks a semester…no student debt.
Mr V walked over a period of ten days in early November. He said it started comfortably then on the fifth day the Santa Anas picked up and by the time he got to the mountain it was raining/snowing. He hitched a ride home.
me?(I was barely out of high school)
Tash: “He saw the ‘city’ for what it was, way before the time when realizing we are on top of the desert became chic.”
Your right!
The beloved junk yard dog academic Mike Davis wrote a short essay on the Fine Arts Squad “Isle of California” that focuses on the dark side which is so much a part of Mr V’s makeup. I’m doing a lot of documentation work for V right now.
Bible Land was the first stop in our first overnight trip together. It’s interesting because when Bible Land was destroyed we thought it had been resurrected as Frank Antone Martin’s Desert Bible Park. Wrong! With that first photo take note of all the acres of undeveloped land thats now gone.
Interesting you should mention travel book. The folks from Rough Guide in the UK want to put the mural in their guide to “off the beaten path things to do” when your in Los Angeles.
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Well, In Pensacola it would still be considered an education out of the ordinary. I’m just sayin’…
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More from the archives
Temecula’s 1985 Stone House was built from granite quarried in Rainbow Canyon. The quarried rock was used in the steps of the Riverside courthouse and the Hotel del Coronado. The granite business crumbled, concrete took over and Stone house became the resting place for local cowboys pushing the cattle interests of two Temecula families. One of them was an elderly maiden who in the late 1950’s, leased part of the land to Ted Conibear, his wife and son. According to historian Tom Hudson
“In 1957, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Conibear leased the property along Highway 395 and moved into the granite house. Across a small waterway from their home, they built an attraction called “Bible Land.”
For more than three decades, Ted Conibear had traveled from town to town creating sand sculptures of biblical scenes. In Temecula, he’d hoped to build a permanent display and constructed three-sided shelters to protect each of the scenes he created from the elements.
Conibear built four life-sized displays — The Last Supper, Jesus in Gethsemane, The Nativity and Woman of Samaria — next to the granite home. Twenty tons of sand were used on The Last Supper alone.
Bible Land was open to the public at no charge. Travelers along the nearby highway would often stop and, if a big enough crowd grew, Conibear would come out of the granite home and favor them with a religious hymn sung in his deep baritone. A nearby collection box was available for those who felt so moved.”
By the late 1960s, with plans for both Interstate 15 and a golf course being developed near the site, the Conibears left Stone House and headed to Calimesa. They took with them some of Mr Conibear’s Temecula bible creations to be installed and repaired at the furture new and improved Bible Land II
The Stone House is now Guardian of the 8th hole at the Temecula Creek Inn. The ranch land gave way to orchards that gave way to housing developments; one of which is the present day home of Mr V’s brother Mr R
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Friends and neighbors posed for Ted Conibear’s bible scapes. A rancher from Lake Elsinore is Simon. Mathew is a sergeant stationed at the March Field air force base. He got his preferred clean sand from as far north as Los Angels and as far south as Mexico. According to Ted Conibear “one exceptionally fine batch came from the Del Mar Race Track.”
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The sand man may have left the side of the road, but 28 years later I helped Mr V take a walk to New York City (for you Chef King Walter)
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Another one of your richly layered posts!!!
I really enjoyed this tremendously and as usual, it took me several viewings to really get into it. Or maybe I should say that I was so fascinated that I came back several times – looking, reading, experiencing.
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This (smashing of the sand sculptures by the son) is the kind of thing that gives atheists a bad name.
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I like the travel book idea – & they asked before putting it in – good people.
Very interesting favorite book choice…although not surprising. Also a richly layered spot.
My in-laws lived in one of those new developments (senior complex) in Temecula for a while. I. was just a little tyke and we spent many an hour climbing onto bulldozers, graters, rollers, etc. Fond memories.
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Round of applause for the series. This may have been my favorite episode. And definitely worth/requiring several visits.
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Ditto most of de above.
Our part of the Bible land is about to be destroyed by another flood. Our landscape is in transition.
Stay dry & warm, my friends!
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This has been a fun romp through performance past. At some future date will you have the recording available? I’d love to hear the entire piece. Funny wonderful stuff and so sad about Bible Land.
I remember it slightly but that Pink elephant? Wasn’t that featured in City of Quartz?
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On other subjects: super cool about Mr. V’s connection with building UCLA’s art department (LOL) & I’m glad that my fellow countryman knew a valuable person when he encountered Mr. V.
On reading — I get so much of my ‘reading’ done by listening. The Year of Magical Thinking is one of those that are probably easier to listen to than read. I’ll see if I still have the Book-on-CD & will send it to you – I bought it at the used book sale. Besides describing the painful grieving process – Didion describes places in LA, NYC & more with such precise snippets that so bring the feel & visual of time & place.
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We at Pasadena Adjacent have a theory as to why the destruction of Bible Land. Because the land was undeveloped, Ted Conibear was able to get a very long lease through South Mountain Water Company of Redlands. I believe that the South Mountain Water Company of Redlands most likely offered the son a monetary deal to buy him off his father’s lease. I can think of a similar situation involving southland nurseries whose operations are under the power lines. Once considered undesirable land, nursery keepers are currently threatened by the appearance of “Public Storage” who would like to put themselves in a position to take over those leases. (What a hideous replacement.)
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thanks a lot for sharing these images with us :)
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I am Don Conibear, son of Ted Conibear the creator of Bibleland. There is a lot of mis-information in the above comments. First, I am not an athiest. At the time of Dad’s passing his work had grossly deteriorated due to wind erosion, insects and the fact that dad had not been able to properly maintain the statues for several years. We, the family agnoized over the disposition of Dad’s work. Efforts were made to organize an enity to maintain and preserve his Bibleland. There was interest from several sources, but no funds. After close to a year the decision was made to take down his work. By this time things had deteriorated to the point that we felt that if it were to be restored. so much needed to be done that it would no longer be Dad’s work. This was a very difficult decision, knowing that it would be gone for ever. South Mountian Water Co. were saints. Dad had not been able to make a lease payment for five or six years, yet they allowed Bibleland to remain. There was no monetary transactions between me or the family and SMWC.
The land for Temecula Bibleland was leased from Dr. Rudolf Rodriguez of Los Angeles. Another saint for working with Dad and allowing him to stay on for a pitence of a lease payment.
I would very Much like to know the name of the Air Force sargent that posed for Thaddeus. (not Mathew)
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I am Daniel Leffler.
A grandson of Ted Conibear, and a nephew of Don Conibear.
First I would like to commend my Uncle Don on setting the record straight.
Next, let me start by saying I myself visited Bible-land for the last time in 1990, 4 years prior to Teds’ passing. The statues were in disrepair at that time. The ‘Master’ was already losing his touch. He simply couldn’t keep up with the vandals, as I recall. The statues would NEVER be the same. It would’ve been quite the feat for ANY sculpture to replicate his work. He was the “Michaelangelo” of sand sculpture.
And lastly, as posted in a paragraph previously posted, someone mentioned something regarding a story in which Ted Conibear on his “Death-bed” making a statement of what he wanted. Perhaps there was some truth to the statement, but as I recall, he seemed plenty healthy for his age, and simply died in his sleep.
Perhaps I was misinformed at the time, but….
Our Editor Responds: Thanks for putting in a word. I have a future post forthcoming and I’ll include your comments there too
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[…] an extended conversation on Pasadena Adjacent’s well received and extremely amusing post Cast From Sand; Bible Land II…(destroyed). A post that delves into the confluence between Mr V’s performance art and Ted […]
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