Madrid, New Mexico: The Bone Zone (Gone)

If it's closed, that's a disaster for visitors and -- more -- for Tammy. This has been her creation for a least a dozen years. She's very proud that she and her mom were brought to NY to appear on one of the late night shows. After meeting her three or four years ago, I saw a film about outsider artists and--pow--there was Tammy in her wonderful spread. She seems an unlikely Famous Person, but she's a genuine eccentric. She learned to tattoo by trying everything out on herself. "It was the cheapest way," she said.

Reports are that The Bone Zone is gone, as of December 22, 2008, due to a dispute between Tatt2 Tammy Lange, and her landlord and neighbors.

Photos do not do this place justice. Calling it a sculpture garden would be an understatement. The whole place is pretty chaotic, but very fun to look at. It's chock full of all kinds of junk; bones, dead trees, broken glass, and scrap metal to name a few. She has completed the putt-putt course. It's pretty random and I am not sure you could actually play, but it's hilarious! There is also a bowling lane set up with 12 empty beer bottles to aim for instead of bowling pins. The artist has stories behind all of her pieces, so at least you know there's a method to her madness.

My grandson, Chico, and I visited Tammy on April Fool's Day 2004, the day before the previous poster submitted his report, and again in August 2005. The motorcycle was on the ground, where you can sit on it, and in its place was most of a dead ostrich (head and neck missing) someone left in her yard. A year later the cycle was back on the roof.

The trailer in the picture is quite effectively painted to look like something other than a mobile home. The name BoneZone itself refers to what you'd find in a boneyard of discarded objects, plus hundreds of actual bones in a yardfull of fanciful wonders. The most recent addition is a one-lane bowling alley, with a half-dozen balls that someone left in the yard, a ball return, and empty beer bottles for pins.

Work in progress is a miniature golf course unlike any you've seen before. While there you can enjoy the Western-style poker game with dolls playing and guns at the ready and a dozen or more ever-changing dioramas, including an antique dresser made into a Victorian theater.

Located just north of an artists' community, this is junk art at its very best, with no holds barred and no concessions paid to politically correct or being polite.

Tammy is a pure joy to meet, all big smiles, tattoos ("They don't keep you warm," said as the sun went down) an outpouring joy and energy. She and the BoneZone have been the subjects of national art and travel magazine articles.

Tiny Town - still there. Tammy Lange, the artist, is planning to turn it into a Putt-Putt golf course.