fantastic scupltures in sebastopol

With every new area I explore, I always hope to stumble on a surprise that makes me smile.  These incredibly clever sculptures created from junk that was destined for the scrap yard make a stop in Sebastopol, California worth it.

The talented duo behind these wild and whimsical creations are  Patrick Amiot and Brigette Laurent.  A snippet from his website reads, “The whole purpose of my work is to glorify these objects, because they have their own spirit,” Amiot enthuses. “When a hubcap has traveled on a truck for millions of miles, and has seen the prairies in the winter and the hot summer asphalt, when it’s done traveling with that truck and finds itself in the scrap yard and I find it, I kind of like to use that. This hubcap, or whatever piece of metal, from the day it was manufactured until now, has an important history. And I like to think the spirit of all these things lived incredible lives. If they could talk to you, they could tell amazing stories. That’s something I don’t want to hide.”

The first place we saw his work was at the lovely shop, Renga Arts.  They have a fabulous sculpture garden that highlights some of their work.

After we soaked in all that Renga Arts had to offer, we headed off to Florence Street which is just a few blocks from downtown Sebastopol.  I have to say that I’ve never walked through such an artful and happy neighborhood.  My guess is Patrick & Brigette created many of these front yard sculptures in themes the home owners requested… from sports teams to professions to pastimes ~ you see it all!

It’s hard to see all the details in these smaller photos, but rest assured… they did not miss a beat.  I love batman’s tool belt ~ complete with a toaster!

I took photos of almost all the sculptures we saw but if you’re hungry for more, see additional pictures of their work HERE.  Or better yet ~ if you ever find yourself in Northern California, make sure to spend an afternoon in Sebastopol.

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