Dalgety Bay Bark Park: Fire fears for 'rubbish' garden sculptures

John Kirby has had his mum's home on the market for months now but has said that all potential buyers have been scared off by the resident artist next door, Denis Carbonaro and his Bark Park creations. 

Now, he is worried about what may happen to the house, especially with the flammable material that is piled high next door.

The display has ruffled a few feathers (Image: John Kirby)

He told the Press: "Bark Park started about 9 and 1/2 years ago. Denis started off with a big mammoth in the front garden. From day one, my mum absolutely hated it. She said it would devalue her house, and she wouldn't be able to sell it.  

"I said to her mum, ‘It's fantastic. It’s modern art. People will love it, and people will come for miles and miles to look at it.’ I was a big fan of his art at the start. He then progressed to the back garden, where he did a spider, then a ship, and then a COVID shrine, and up until that point, it was all tasteful, it was all lovely.  

The sculptures have caused a lot of anger in the community (Image: John Kirby)

"Beast of the East came along and, unfortunately, damaged an awful lot of his structures. He went on 'strike' and all of the structures were scattered around his garden.  

"Why he’s decided to move the rubbish to the front garden, only he knows."

What was once an incredible display of modern art, has become a protest. Mr Carbonaro has been taking a stand over the "exploitation" that he and his art were subjected to. 

John continued: "He’s a very clever, articulate guy and he’s also a very good engineer, the stuff he has made is absolutely fantastic but the problem is that nobody has paid to view his art.  

Previous sculptures were well received. (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

"He’s had lots of good comments on TripAdvisor but nobody paid to view his art. 

"I put the house on the market at the beginning of July and very shortly after that, he put all that s**t in the front garden. There are shopping trolleys there are prams there are carts, there are empty milk cartons- I mean you name it-  there's a microwave, a fridge. It’s just a massive, massive eyesore."

Before John's mum passed away, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in October 2021, she was then moved into a care home in March of 2023. 

She died earlier this month, and John has been left to take care of outstanding medical and funeral care bills. 

He said: "We have had nine viewings - all of them like the house, the size of rooms etc - but are put off and won't make an offer because of the eyesore next door.

John is trying to sell his late mother's home to pay for her care home bills. (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

"How can he be allowed to get away with this when it's devaluing everyone else's homes?

"He’s getting away with it because it's a ‘quiet, peaceful protest’. The stuff that he’s putting in the garden isn't food waste, it’s material waste therefore it's not attracting vermin- according to the council. 

"I’ve tried everything, I've tried Fife Council, I've tried the Scottish fire brigade I've tried Police Scotland, I've been to my MSP, I've been to councillors, I've done the press, the BBC, the petition but I'm just not getting anywhere at all and there's more and more stuff getting dumped in his garden on a daily basis.  

"If I put something in my garden that's more than 6ft the council would get me to move it so how could he get away with what he’s doing?"

John's main concern is the external gas pipes outside of his mum's house and he fears that with Bonfire Night fast approaching, it's an accident waiting to happen. 

He added: "I went to the fire brigade and highlighted the fact that my mum's house has external gas pipes at the front door which is less than a metre and a half away from all that stuff in his front garden.  

"It just takes one idiot to lob a match in there and you’ve got a fire. Because you've got gas pipes that close to the house, you're talking a gas explosion. Is that what they’re waiting for? For somebody to die? I’m struggling to get anybody to do anything. It's going to be another Clackmannan."

Denis said his original goal was to transform his home into a tourist attraction and a sculpture park and spoke out previously when he unveiled the galleon - complete with rigging and mast - made out of recycled wood.

He worked as a sculptor in Sicily before coming to Scotland around 25 years ago, where he worked in web design and IT for banks before quitting due to burnout.

Responding to the allegations, he said: "While I understand their concerns, I believe it's important to provide some context that may have been overlooked.

One of the latest additions is a microwave on the roof. (Image: John Kirby)

"In August, John, the son of my neighbour, came to my door, blaming me for their difficulty in selling the property. After our discussion, I sent him a series of SMS messages outlining potential solutions to address both our concerns.

"As part of my long-standing campaign, "WOWS DON'T GROW ON TREES, GARBAGE AND CLUTTER DO!", I have used items like trolleys and prams as symbolic representations to respond to the ongoing invasion of my privacy and the disregard for my copyright and intellectual property.

"Despite the significant local interest in my work, including visits from John and his friends, I have not received the necessary financial support through the donation caskets I have set up.

"Why, after visitors repeatedly asked for a donation box during Bark Park’s first few months, did they never contribute once it was created and available by December 2015? They had only requested the donation chest but did not support it once it was provided.

"Regarding the accusation of "flytipping," I must emphasize that these items are part of a deliberate artivist campaign and hold significant meaning.

"Bark Park has been a local feature for over nine years, attracting visitors and admirers of my inventive works.

Some earlier sculptures were ruined by bad weather. (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

"The clutter John refers to is, in fact, a creative statement against the exploitation I’ve experienced from neighbours and visitors alike, who have failed to offer support despite enjoying the installations.

"While I understand their frustration over selling the property, I must stress that this issue is multifaceted. Reducing the challenge to one of "aesthetics" is not entirely fair.

"In my communications with John, I made it clear that I am open to solutions, but it’s important to recognise that this isn’t a one-sided issue.

"The ongoing disregard for my privacy and work has deeply affected me, and my campaign reflects that."