A Fife artist has hit back at neighbours complaining about his controversial garden art installation.
Denis Carbonaro, from Dalgety Bay, has no plans to remove the installation from outside his semi-detached home, which he calls Bark Park, on Strathbeg Drive.
The ‘Dalgety Baycott’ is made up of various items and signs in his front garden, including a fridge, pieces of wood and bike tyres.
More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for Fife Council and Police Scotland to “put a halt to this so-called fly-tipping and classing it as art”.
John Kirby, who started the petition, claims he is struggling to sell his late mother’s home because of it.
The 62-year-old said: “This isn’t art. This is rubbish, an eyesore and a fire hazard.”
Mr Carbonaro, also known as the Hippy Artist, has now told The Courier the installation is an “artivist campaign” which draws attention to alleged attacks on his “diversity, privacy and intellectual property”.
While he accepts the impact his artwork is having, he hopes that over time his detractors will come to understand the “deeper issues at play.”
He said: “The core issue is a fundamental disrespect for diversity.
“Bark Park is not a cookie-cutter home, but a Busker Home, created by a busker/inventor.
“The ‘Busker Home model’ is essential to sustain this independent project, and it requires respect for my privacy, my intellectual property, and contributions from visitors.”
He added: “John Kirby’s home may be seen as the first casualty of the ‘Dalgety Baycott’, but a few months’ delay in the sale of his mother’s home is a small price to pay for finding solutions to the larger ‘Busker’s Home’ issue next door, which stems from almost a decade of disrespect towards my diversity, privacy, intellectual property, and my model.
Controversial Dalgety Bay artist says garden installation is ‘artivist campaign’
“The urgent need to protect my privacy, intellectual property, and the Busker Home model led to the latest artivist campaign.
“The silent and peaceful ‘visual noise’ of this campaign cannot be labelled as antisocial behaviour, nor is it breaking any laws.”
Mr Carbonaro acknowledged the economic repercussions on the surrounding property market as a result, adding “I have been portrayed as the “bad boy” for defending my privacy, intellectual property, and the vital Busker Home model which unlike the mainstream cookie-cutter salary model relies on contributions per visit and per person.
“However, I believe that over time, those who have disregarded these rights will come to understand the deeper issues at play.”
He continued: “The ‘Dalgety Baycott’ will continue until the rights of Busker Homes and those of their buskers/inventors, including myself, are properly acknowledged and respected.”
Conversation