Copyright dailyrecord
An 'eyesore' garden in a Scots town has left homeowners struggling to sell their properties, neighbours claim. A decade ago, Denis Carbonaro began stacking items in his Dalgety Bay garden, claiming it was 'modern art'. Items in the controversial artwork include discarded shopping trolleys and prams, and he has even extended it with a display of his 'pants.' However, Denis' neighbours say he has created a 'monstrosity' and they've been informed there is no 'legal power' to force its removal. Denis says he began the project in protest of people not appreciating his work - despite it being dubbed "nothing more than fly tipping". Neighbours have started a petition which has gathered 1,200 signatures demanding action but, after several months of discussions with local councillors to try and resolve the issue and 'relocate' the artwork, the situation isn't looking up. Councillor Dave Dempsey said that the lives of neighbours continue to be impacted by the ongoing situation. He said: "Denis Carbonaro's problem is that he's protesting against a reality that doesn't match anyone else's." "He may have had legitimate grievances in the past but it's not clear what he has to complain about today. Yet he continues to blight the lives of his neighbours. "Even Denis has agreed that the Bark Park is in the wrong place. I and my fellow ward councillors have worked our socks off to try and find a solution. "Unsightly and undesirable as the display outside his house is, we haven't been able to find any legal or regulatory basis for getting it removed. Nor have we yet located an alternative home." Cllr Sarah Neal added: "I am a very patient person and have worked hard to achieve a positive outcome, but Denis has consistently changed the goalposts making it impossible to do so. My heartfelt sympathies lie with his neighbours." Denis stated last December that he was open to "explore" the possibility of moving the 'art exhibit' dubbed Bark, Park but no agreeable solution has been reached. Denis said: "What was initially presented as 'support' gradually turned into an effort to reshape, dilute, and relocate Bark Park - turning a living declaration of independence into a supervised project. "The solution they envisioned implied removing diversity from visibility - as if non-conformity should be relocated or hidden away. I was even advised to consider selling my home and moving to an isolated area of the countryside - a proposal that felt more like exclusion than inclusion." Neighbours have voiced their frustration and said the council should have intervened over a decade ago. John Kirby, who faced difficulties selling his late mother's home to cover her care fees due to the situation, expressed that action should have been taken earlier to halt its expansion. Doreen Mary Moore, John's mum and Denis' neighbour, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in October 2021 and passed away earlier this year aged 86. She had been living in a care home since March 2023 with the property placed on the market to cover her fees. John, 61, said: "My late mother's house sold back in August but well below market value. Because of Denis's anarchy, a house that should have sold in two to three weeks took 18 months to sell and a house that should have achieved market value or more went well below asking price. "My life's moved on but I feel sorry for those in Strathbeg Drive that have to put up with the eyesore that is Bark Park. Fife Regional Council should have nipped this in the bud 10 years ago. They turned a blind eye to his sculptures and now struggling how to deal with it. "I've highlighted to the council that Denis is in breach of his title deeds and most likely his home insurance. It's up to the council's legal team to deal with him. He just kept adding more stuff. I know he is angry that he feels people haven't appreciated his work. "I was actually a big fan just at the start. It had the wow factor and I liked the art. I thought it was a bit different. But since he's gone on strike he's created nothing more than an eyesore." Denis had previously maintained his latest creation at the 'tourist attraction' The Bark Park represented a demonstration against visitors viewing his artistic projects without making a contribution. The garden display commence with sculptures in 2015 and began with a woolly mammoth positioned in the front garden. John added: "He now has stuff scattered all across his garden. The back garden is an absolute mess. In a matter of days he had dismantled everything and dumped shopping trolleys, prams, bread bins and other random items. He classed it as art - but in our view it is nothing more than fly-tipping." Denis wrote of his work: "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 "fly tipping," I must emphasise that these items are part of a deliberate artivist campaign and hold significant meaning." He added: "Bark Park has been a local feature for over nine years, attracting visitors and admirers of my inventive works. 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." He stated: "Bark Park is not simply a museum. It is simultaneously my home, my laboratory, and a living environment inhabited by my own creations. Its strength lies in that integration - where I live, love, and invent among my wows. "This evolution of ideas made it clear that the solutions being proposed were not compatible with the fundamental nature of Bark Park, nor with the principles of diversity, independence, and creative belief that define it. For there to be a real Bark Park 2.0, it is first necessary to understand what Bark Park 1.0 truly is." Councillor David Barratt commented on the ongoing efforts to find a suitable solution. He added: "Over the past year, we have engaged with Mr Carbonaro in good faith to explore positive and sustainable ways forward that could both support his creativity and address the significant impact that Bark Park has had on nearby residents. "Our shared goal was to find a solution that respected Mr. Carbonaro's individuality while ensuring a peaceful environment for his neighbours. While there were early signs of agreement and an acknowledgment that Bark Park needed to change, it is now clear that Mr Carbonaro believes it is everyone else that needs to change. "At this point, we are considering what remaining steps are available to ensure that local residents' rights are respected, including exploring legal avenues that may exist through the property's title conditions."
