Truckhenge – Topeka, Kansas - Atlas Obscura

Truckhenge

These elevated trucks were put in place as a middle finger to The Man, but are now considered folk art. 

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Angling up towards the sky as though they have just burst from beneath the ground, the antique trucks that make up Ron Lessman’s Truckhenge are just the tip of the naive art iceberg on his eccentric farm.

Lessman originally created Truckhenge in 2000 as a response to the county officials who were trying to get him to clean up his land. In response to an order to “pick the trucks up,” he elevated the aging vehicles by burying one end in the ground, attached to a heavy concrete base. This tipped the remainder of the vehicle up into the air, and Truckhenge was born. The outspoken Lessman painted slogans across the rusting automobile such as “Rise Up” and “Freedum Isn’t Lost,” making them even more idiosyncratic than before.

While the distinctly American henge was initially considered an eyesore, it was eventually designated as a piece of art. In addition to the truck installations, Lessman’s farm is sprinkled with other homemade artworks, most notably a number of found item constructions known as “Beer Bottle City.”

Visitors are more than welcome to visit Lessman’s farm so long as they contact Lessman first and arrange to meet up with him. He seems more than proud to show off his creations to guests and is said to be quite the animated storyteller.

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