Man defends 'rubbish' art after neighbours complain

Claire Thomson - BBC News Scotland
·3 min read
A semi-detached house with wood and other household items cluttered in the front garden along the side.
Potential buyers are said to have been discouraged from making an offer after seeing the neighbouring property [John Kirby]

A man whose neighbours complained about the “rubbish” artwork in his garden has defended his unusual creations.

Denis Carbonaro has been making sculptures in the front and back garden of his Fife semi for nine-and-a-half years, including a woolly mammoth, a Spanish galleon up a tree, a spider and a shrine during Covid.

He describes his artworks – mainly made from recycled materials - as "highly original, three-dimensional wows".

However, John Kirby whose late mother lived next door to Mr Carbonaro in Dalgety Bay said the “eyesore” art had put off all his potential buyers.

Mr Kirby has complained to Fife Council, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service but said he had been told the artist is not breaking any rules.

Mr Carbonaro has named his house Bark Park and describes it as a “busker home”.

He said he "relies on the generosity of the audience for financial support in exchange for the experience".

In a reference to Martin Luther King’s famous speech about racial integration in the US, Mr Carbonara said: “I have a dream that towns full of cookie-cutter homes will one day become towns filled with wows, where diversity, creativity, and freedom flourish side by side.

“A place where busker homes inspire change and creativity, just as movements for civil rights have shaped our world.”

The remains of a galleon shaped boat in a tree in the background. A lot of wood and other items lie on the grass and along the fence.
The Spanish galleon artwork had been damaged by bad weather [John Kirby]

Mr Kirby is one of many neighbours to have complained about the “sculptures”.

He admits he liked Mr Carbonaro’s earlier work, describing it as “modern art” and “different” but said his late mother always hated it.

Mr Kirby’s mother moved into a care home in March 2023 and died on 2 October.

Her son said he needed to sell the house to pay for outstanding care home fees but Mr Carbonaro’s art was putting people off buying the property.

He said the garden is full of items such as shopping trolleys, refrigerators and crates, and is getting “worse and worse”.

“My mum died and I’m not getting a chance to grieve,” he said.

“This is just consuming me. Every day I get up and think 'what is he going to do now?'”

Wooden constructions surrounding the house. There are the remains of a sculpture and other items.
Denis Carbonaro describes his house as "not a cookie-cutter attraction" [John Kirby]

Fife Council service manager Alastair Hamilton confirmed that council colleagues have visited the property and investigated the concerns.

He said: "The concerns of neighbours have been raised with the owners of the property. No further action is being taken."

Mr Carbonaro, who calls himself an artivist, claims Bark Park has become "a cultural landmark" that attracts people to Dalgety Bay.

Yet Mr Kirby believes that his mother's house will not sell until the "rubbish" is cleared up.

The house has currently been removed from the market for reasons unrelated to the artwork.