Another Roadside Attraction

My list of favorite roadside attractions includes these gems:

• Lucy the Margate Elephant (Margate City, New Jersey)

• Enchanted Highway (Regent, North Dakota)

• Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo, Texas)

• Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox (Bemidji, Minnesota)

• World’s Largest Ball of Twine (Gawker City, Kansas)

Every one of them warrants pulling off the highway and taking them into your mind and heart, even if the stop throws your road trip off schedule… especially if the stop throws your road trip off schedule. These attractions are guaranteed to raise thoughts and feelings, both profound and silly, about culture in the good old US of A.

I have a new favorite to add to my list and it is just a 20-minute drive from my house: The Giant Danish Trolls (Charlestown, Rhode Island). The South County Tourism Council and Danish artist Thomas Dambo have worked together to install two very large trolls made out of recycled wood on the shore of a pond in Ninigret Park. There is a contrast, but probably no conflict, between the way the sponsoring organization and the artist talk about the project. Louise Bishop, president of The South County Tourism Council, says, “When I first saw the Thomas Dambo Trolls at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, I knew they were just what South County needed as an attraction. I love that they’re eco-conscious and so unique and will be an additional economic driver for the state. They will put Rhode Island, not just South County, on the map.” The energetic Mr. Dambo says, “Our world is drowning in trash while we are running out of natural resources. In 2011, I quit my job to become an artist and follow my mission to ‘Waste no more.’ Today, I spend my life showing the world that beautiful things can be made out of trash. I give new life to discarded materials by turning them into large-scale artworks… to teach people how to reuse and upcycle.” Bishop’s focus is on tourism and economic development. Dambo’s is on ecological education and behavior change. (It would be great if, through this project, they both realized their goals!)

Dambo installs his trolls, and other series of works, at a ferocious rate all over the world. He has published a big, gorgeous book, Trash, Trolls and Treasure Hunts, documenting the completion of his first 100 troll sculptures. Flipping through the pages of this book to see the variety and inventiveness of these works is fascinating. Can one guy really have this much energy?

In traditional legends, trolls are hostile creatures. It is said that their favorite meals are young goats and disobedient children, they get off on luring people into bodies of water and drowning them, and famously, they hang out under bridges to harass travelers passing above. For the majority of his statues, Dambo has gone with cute trolls, charm school graduates who are more likely to hug you than harm you. However, there are several examples that adhere to the traditional representation. For example, Snorra (FYI: all the trolls have names) snatches concert goers in a King Kong sized fist at The Suwanne Hulaween Music Festival in Florida. Wilson, who resides in Puerto Rico, is portrayed smashing a car. Rocky Bardur, in Illinois, threatens to crush anyone who approaches with a huge boulder he holds over his head. Oscar, who hides under a bridge on the outskirts of Copenhagen, clearly has evil intent. Reportedly, there are plans to bring more of Dambo’s troll sculptures to Rhode Island. Let’s hope that some will send a chill up our spines in the best fairy tale tradition and not just make us feel warm and fuzzy.

On Friday, May 3 the Ninigret Park trolls were unveiled. They have been christened Erick Rock and Greta Granite. Erik sits rather peacefully by a pond and can be glimpsed from the park road. However, Greta sits further into the woods, requiring a quarter-mile walk and a bit of hunting to encounter her. A crowd of approximately 50 people gathered in a circle around Erick eagerly waiting Dambo’s arrival. Present were his construction crew, community volunteers, coordinators from the Tourism Commission, local and state level government representatives, and a surprising number of press reporters and videographers. When Dambo arrived he was welcomed with a great deal of warmth and enthusiasm. Clearly, the artist has endeared himself to the community in a short period of time. He rode out of the woods on his bike dressed in construction clothes and before he even dismounted, the applause started as did shouts of welcome and recognition. Comments such as “This is so cool!” “He’s coming on his bike! So perfect!” and “There he is! Hey, Thomas!” could be overheard. The official remarks were short. Then Dambo read a charming poem and talked about his work in a relaxed, friendly manner. Cookies were served. The day’s atmosphere reflected a project that brought the community together and made them feel connected and united in a common purpose. Dambo, Erick Rock, and Greta Granite appear to be well on their way to realizing their goals of promoting ecotourism and living in harmony with nature.

Now go! Check it out!

southcountyri.com/thomas-dambo-trolls