Just outside an abandoned building in Hainesport, New Jersey stands an artwork of a giant troll known as Big Rusty. This artwork has sparked the creation of 18 other trolls spread throughout Burlington County.
In 2023, a Danish sculptor, Thomas Dambo built 10 trolls across the East and West coast of the United States. The artwork for Big Rusty is clearly labeled on Google Maps.
How to find the sculpture
The troll is outside what was formerly the Creek Turn Ceramic Supply Co. There is now graffiti covering the building and the walls inside. When you go inside the old building, you have the chance to see the artwork from various different angles.
There is a sign by the statue warning visitors to not feed or climb on the statue. You are welcome to climb on some of Dambo’s work. However, there are some like this one, where it is impossible to do it safely.
How Dambo built the statue
He builds his trolls through the use of reclaimed materials. He creates most of his trolls with wood pallets or bourbon barrels, depending on what materials are on site. In this particular artwork, he used part of a rusty roof, a concrete wall, wood, electrical equipment, etc. Those various construction materials make Big Rusty one of Dambo’s more colorful works.
Troll artwork in Burlington County
In addition to Big Rusty, there are now 18 other trolls throughout Burlington County. The trolls are part of a new public art exhibition; Burlington County Troll Trek. 16 artists, selected by submissions to the Burlington County Parks System are responsible for the sculptures.
Similar to Dambo’s Big Rusty, all trolls are made of old materials at the site.
Dambo often doesn’t consider Big Rusty a “troll,” describing him as more of a “monster.” He knew he wanted to portray him as eating the partially demolished building. However, he didn’t know exactly what material he would have available to work with until he made his arrival at the site. When he saw the location though, he couldn’t have been more pleased at the wide variety of raw material at his disposal. He still praises the convenience of the site to this day, calling it the “Perfect bank of great materials.”
The ogre is entirely made up of recycled materials from the factory; shards of wooden beams, cinderblocks, rusted metal from the building’s corrugated steel roof, electrical wiring conduit, rebar, sheet of graffiti-scrawled plywood and galvanized steel.
Before becoming one of the most regarded recycling artists, Dambo led a multifaceted life that allowed him to express his creativity through street art, and scenic design. Following his graduation from the Kolding Design School with a master’s degree in interactive design, he immediately began using recycled material to create art.
Following the unveiling of Big Rusty in Hainsport, Dambo and the rest of the troll builders hit the road for their next project in Vermont. They plan to stop in Michigan, Colorado, Oregon and Washington State. Dambo will continue building more trolls and hosting talks and birdhouse workshops. His vision is to create art that inspires people to go explore.
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