You can see in the first photo how big these are! That's my sister standing near the gate.
We arrived just as Volis was getting ready to leave. "I'm goin home to git some supper. Just enjoy yourselves lookin around."
These whiligigs were created by Vollis Simpson. He's become quite famous in the last few years.
Just a few miles off Highway 301 South of Wilson, there's a spot where 5 roads come together.
Mr. Simpson has filled a field there with huge whiligigs made from found objects. Some are as high as 30 feet.
There are horses pulling a wagon, two men sawing, a dog wagging its tail, bicyclists that pedal their bikes, several airplanes and lots more.
We were lucky today that it was very windy. It is a sight to behold and the sound on a windy day is energizing as well. We hadn't been in a while and were pleased to see that new ones had been planted. Mr. Simpson, now that he's retired, works almost every day building smaller whiligigs in his workshop adjacent to the field.
We purchased a small ones a few years ago and haven't had a chance to mount it on our new house yet. I think the trip today will be the motivation to get it up. Look for it on the corner of our third story porch.
We've never been there at night, I'm not sure I could FIND it at night, but we're told that the fence and the whirligigs are covered with tiny reflectors and made an amazing sight in your headlights!
Here is a link to all the photos I took today Photos
On YouTube there are several film clips of him and his work, I think this is the best one. The locals call the field of whirligigs Acid Park. Or at least a portion of the population does. Here's another video from YouTube play it!
You may have seen one of his windmills outside the American Visionary Art Museum at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore.
If you want to go it takes about an hour and a half to get there from New Bern, well worth the time.
Very cool. I most definitely want to pay this place a visit.
ReplyDelete