Over three years ago, I wrote a piece for The Ecological Disciple about a Danish recycle artist named Thomas Dambo. Using only recycled materials, he creates works of art, including a forest made of used plastic, walls of birdhouses outside of buildings, and dozens of huge wooden trolls scattered across the globe. You can read that post, which tells the story of his process, his reasons for doing what he does, and how he does what he does here.

When I wrote that piece three years ago, Dambo’s trolls delighted me, but I didn’t know that I would have the opportunity of seeing any first-hand. Last year, I learned that Dambo planned to create six trolls right in my own backyard—the Pacific Northwest—as part of a series called The Way of the Bird King. I was thrilled that they would be near enough to me to visit in person.

Oscar the Bird King

Oscar the Bird King, Thomas Dambo. Photo by Jeff Reed

Last fall, as part of a work outing, I was able to visit two of Dambo’s trolls: Oscar the Bird King on Vashon Island and Bruun Idun in West Seattle.

My first sighting of Oscar in the midst of a grove of autumn-colored maple trees stunned me. More than 20 feet tall, he has an air of sternness and power. The sculpture gives the feel of a mighty king sitting on his throne, towering among the treetops, looking downward to those below him.

Oscar the Bird King, Thomas Dambo, photo by Jeff Reed

It's a huge piece of sculpture, but seems to completely belong to that place. The material Oscar is composed of—twigs and other natural elements of the forest as well as the used wooden pallets that are a trademark of Dambo—means that he blends in with the trees and the other surroundings. The birdhouses that form his crown emphasize his affinity to the place he resides and the creatures that live there.

Oscar the Bird King, Thomas Dambo. Photo by Jeff Reed

Whichever side you approach him from, his eyes seem to follow you, compelling you to make eye contact and pay attention. The character Dambo has created as a story around him is as an advocate for good stewardship of the forest. As Oscar points a solemn finger toward all who stand in front of him, he emanates the words that Dambo imagines him speaking: "Take Responsibility."

Bruun Idun, Thomas Dambo. Photo by Louise Conner

Bruun Idun

The second troll I visited, Bruun Idun, is a very different character. With her eyes closed, she plays her wooden flute to call the orcas who live in Puget Sound. Her communication seems aimed not so much toward the humans that stand at her feet as at the creatures she calls with her music. The mood she creates has a touch of sadness as the music swirls soundlessly around her.

The details of her frizzy hair, the lobes of her ears, the curve of her fingers are reminiscent of the intricacy of Oscar, but she is more contemplative and less forceful in her stance. While Oscar calls us to action with a kind of command, Bruun calls for a response based on empathy and affection.

Bruun Idun, Thomas Dambo. Photo by Jeff Reed

A deliberate choice was made to include perspectives and collaboration of Native tribes in the building of the trolls. Because the trolls were created on traditional Coast Salish land, it was a priority to find common ground between the lore and values of the Coast Salish people and the stewardship and traditions that the Scandinavian Dambo and his team bring to their projects.

One mark of this collaboration is Bruun Idun's horn, which was carved and then wrapped in cedar and abalone shells by a Muckleshoot member, Coyote (John Halliday). He explains, “We put these things on the troll to show we are welcoming it.” Coyote was chosen to participate in an artist exchange which involved traveling to Denmark and working with the crew in their workshop. (The heads, hands, and feet of the trolls are created in Dambo's Denmark workshop and then transported to the sites where the rest of the troll is built).

In a comment that brings out this common ground, Dambo says, “In nature, there is no landfill. Nature is circular, everything has a meaning and everything is recycled.”

Frankie Feetsplitter

Just recently, I was able to visit Frankie Feetsplitter and the remaining two local trolls. (I haven't yet seen Ole Bolle, who is outside of Portland, though I hope to the next time I'm down in that area).

Frankie Feetsplitter, Thomas Dambo. Photo by Louise Conner

Frankie, the troll in front of the National Nordic Museum in the Ballard area of Seattle, is the troll that prompted the entire project. When the National Nordic Museum became interested in having a troll from Dambo, Dambo expressed interest in a project involving a series of trolls rather merely the single one the museum had originally envisioned.

Frankie Feetsplitter, Thomas Dambo. Photo by Louise Conner

Unlike his counterparts, Frankie is surrounded by city streets rather than green space. Dambo describes Frankie as the youngest and most irresponsible of the trolls. His hands are cupped upward (perfect for holding people within them) in a manner that doesn't seem entirely friendly to humans.

The poem created for him by Dambo (all of his trolls have story poems) suggests Frankie isn't fond of fish...or humans...or even trolls. As with the other trolls (who have open eyes), Frankie's seem to be watching visitors whichever side they are on.

Pia the Peacemaker, Thomas Dambo. Photo by Louise Conner

Pia the Peacemaker

Pia the Peacemaker is found in a park clearing on Bainbridge Island. Like Oscar, she sits in the middle of a grove of trees. According to the story written for her, she prefers the quiet, though there was a lot of construction happening in the park when I was there.

Pia the Peacemaker, Thomas Dambo. Photo by Louise Conner

Pia's hands are placed in front of her so that a person can fit into each hand as she looks down upon them. They are either held firmly apart or are brought together through her mediation.

The half-crossed legs of Pia suggest a relational, relaxed manner and her position directly on the ground creates a nearness both to the earth and to the people who approach in the quest for peace. There is a literal down-to-earth aspect to the sculpture.

Jakob Two Trees

My last troll sighting up to the present time was Jakob Two Trees, found along the Rainier Trail in Issaquah, Washington.

Birdhouses marking the way to Jakob Two Trees, Thomas Dambo. Photo by Louise Conner

One way you know you are on the trail of a troll is the presence of a pole stacked with birdhouses, signaling that Dambo and his crew of employees and volunteers have been there. Birdhouses are a recurring thread with Dambo and with the trolls in particular. Not only do they act as signposts to each of the trolls, they adorn the crown of Oscar and hang from the necklace of Jakob Two Trees.

Jakob Two Trees, Thomas Dambo. Photo: Louise Conner

It is always Dambo's goal and hope that birds will take up residence in these birdhouses and make the sculptures thoroughly part of the place where they are located.

Jakob Two Trees, Thomas Dambo. Photo: Louise Conner

Although Jakob is a large sculpture, the trees he stands beside are much taller than he is. Beside the Douglas fir trees he holds onto, he seems like a rather short, stout version of the trees themselves. Even the texture of the shingles that make up his body are reminiscent of the bark of the firs.

Around Jakob's neck and wrist, there is evidence of the collaboration that happened between Dambo and members of the Coast Salish tribes. The birdhouses around Jakob's neck hang from a braided cedar rope made by Ginger de los Angeles of the Snoqualmie Tribe. From extra rope, she also created the bracelet that circles his right wrist and the hair tie that holds his hair in the back.

The Future of the Trolls

The trolls are meant to be temporary installations. Each site has a partner that has committed to hosting and maintaining the sculpture for a minimum of three years. Beyond that, it is up to the host to decide when to dismantle each troll. The hope is that they will be maintained well beyond the initial three years, but they are not meant to stand where they are forever. In the same way that they were created from wood that originally served another purpose, the trolls themselves will make way for something else as an example of nature's way of recycling things into other forms.

If you have seen one of Dambo's trolls, I would love to hear the impression it made on you (or to see your pictures!). Feel free to leave a comment below or contact me directly at louise.conner@circlewood.online.

You can see more of Dambo's work or order the book, Way of the Bird King, on his website.

Louise