When you walk in a forest all alone, sometimes you get scared of every little thing around you.
You think that the trees have eyes and are watching you. You can feel some movements, and it seems like there are other people wandering in the forest.
In most cases these thoughts are only illusions. But in Bruno’s Art and Sculpture Garden those illusions come true. When you walk along the paths in the forest, you see “wooden people” of all sizes and shapes, which look real.
This garden is the achievement of Bruno Torfs’ dream: he traveled all the way to Australia from South America to create this marvelous sculpture garden.
Bruno’s garden is located in a rain forest in Marysville, Australia. It had 200 superb wooden sculptures until a fire broke out in Marysville in February of 2009. The fire completely destroyed 40 percent of the sculptures. Fortunately, Bruno and his family survived, and in November of the same year they re-opened the garden.
Now the garden contains over 150 exciting paintings and sculptures of people, fairies, elf-like and man-like creatures that don’t lack in originality and humor. Even the slightest details are all expressed.
The characters that the sculptures represent are from myths, stories and right out of Bruno Torf’s imagination. His travels to different places have inspired him to give specific coloring to some of his works. For instance, there are many sculptures representing Indian culture.
There you’ll see full size sculptures with every single detail exposed. Some of the subjects are dressed fully or partially, others are completely naked. Some hold objects like umbrellas, a bottle of beer or even a lamp.
There are some sculptures that depict half-human creatures like a beautiful girl in a shell or a tree-man (unusual-shaped tree with a human face).
The expressions on their wooden faces are vivid. You can clearly catch the look of happiness, sadness, calmness and carefulness. You feel like the muscles on their faces are going to move at any moment, and you get absolutely amazed with the imagination and talent of the creator.
When you stand in front of a cheerful figure, you want to join his party and share his good mood. But then you move on to the next sculpture–the beggars, for example–and see an expression of sadness.
Don’t forget to include this magical garden in your plans during one of your Australia trips. It will take you only a few hours to explore Bruno’s world, but it will be an experience you will never forget. You can find your own interpretations and explanations in every single statue.
The statue I liked the most was the girl coming out of her shell sleeping on the soft grass. Her golden color and the color of the grass make an incredible contrast. Her appearance arouses a feeling of extreme calmness and safety, and you wish that beauty existed in reality.
This is a truly exclusive area, where mythical stories and tales come together. This unbelievable “open-air-museum” is a simply wonderful place to get inspired. It is full of imagination and limitless fantasy.
Photo: © Gavin Anderson
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