The Sky Village Swap Meet in Yucca Valley is a world of its own, born on the grounds of a former drive-in movie theater, now it is a dense shanty-like town of booths and stands packed with curios, desert junk, overgrown cactus gardens, and bright green Palo Verde trees. The former drive-in loud speakers broadcast a soundtrack of country music, periodically punctuated by announcements that someone’s burritos or french fries are ready for pickup at the cafe.

In the heart of the swap meet is the Crystal Cave - a phantasmagorical “masterpiece-in-progress” by Bob Carr, owner and creator of Sky Village Swap Meet. Bob’s larger than life personality and creative sensibility has been the driving force behind the success of this highly eccentric community. In 2008, despite the swap meet’s popularity, the Yucca Valley City Council decided to take the land that the swap meet occupied through eminent domain. As their legal claim became more and more of a reality, Bob decided to demolish his structures, including the Crystal Cave. However, as the result of local civil uproar, the council gave the land back to Bob. Unfortunately Bob was left with a broken Crystal Cave as well as what he describes as a broken heart.

In admiration and respect for Bob and all that he represents, two Danish art and curatorial students, Merete Vyff Slyngborg and Mette Woller initially worked with him on the ongoing restoration of the Cave and since their departure the Cave has continued to grow, expand and evolve, now including an adjacent courtyard area. The latest addition to the Crystal Cave is a running river that flows through the center of the cave (Bob says that eventually there will be three rivers — so that means two more tributaries still to be built in the future). It has once again become a continuous and never-ending creative endeavor.