Thomas Dambo - Big Rusty's Designer

     Thomas Dambo, the designer of Big Rusty, is a Danish recycle artist based in Copenhagen. He trained as a carpenter, but once employed as a full time carpenter, he found the work repetetive. He enrolled in Kolding School of Designs in 2005. 

     While at design school, Dambo saw potential in trash as the raw material for his art projects, especially construction trash. His first major project, called "Happy City Birds," featured 73 birdhouses and a bird feeder hung on a plywood tree, all made from scraps of plywood.  Since "Happy City Birds," Dambo has built over 3,000 birdhouses word wide. 

     Dambo loved fairytales as a child and enjoyed creating his own stories of magic and fantastic creatures. Giant trolls made their way into his art beginning with seven trolls built in Boom, Belgium. In April 2023, Dambo published Trash, Trolls, and Treasure Hunts, the story of his first 100 trolls.

     Hainesport's Big Rusty is the first in a series of 10 trolls built in the United States during the summer of 2023.  The others are located in Vermont, Michigan, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State.

     Read more about Thomas Dambo and his art:

https://www.reckontalk.com/thomas-dambo-wooden-troll-locations-artwork-photos-biography/

https://thomasdambo.com/works/bird-mural/#:~:text=This%20mural%20is%20part%20of,the%20world%E2%80%9D%20by%20Anne%20Schmauss.

https://www.nj.com/news/2023/07/a-giant-troll-made-of-recycled-trash-from-abandoned-building-now-lives-in-south-jersey.html

Big Rusty

      I've tried to resist, but I have to say it: one man's trash is another man's troll.  Meet Big Rusty, a 20 foot tall troll designed by Danish artist Thomas Dambo.  Dambo and a group of volunteers built Rusty from trash found on the abandoned Creek Turn Pottery site which is located on Route 38 in Hainesport (39.9762330,-74.8264650).

          Artists Herman J Kleiner, Jr. and his wife Francisca Kleiner operated Creek Turn Pottery for over 50 years.  Hainesport Township purchased the 28 acre plot from the Kleiner Estate, and it will be developed into a park.    

     The recycled Rusty entertains visitors whenever the property's gates are open.  You can prowl the property at your own risk.  I took the following pictures when I visited yesterday.

 

The place is covered with nifty graffiti.  Some of it is X-rated, so parents be advised. 

The property drops off at the back, and the Rancocas Creek flows below.  It's a lovely view.

 

     In the coming days, I will write about Thomas Dambo and the Kleiners and their business.