Manfred May’s Sculpture Garden
I took these photos on July 7th, 2014–my first visit to Manfred’s property. A sign at the entrance read “Stone Gartens: open 10am til Dusk”, so I tentatively walked into his yard to explore. I was unprepared for the number and variety of sculptures, the overall effect of seeing them for the first time, and my first encounter with Manfred himself.
At the time, Manfred was still allowing people to take photos and he kindly gave me a tour of his garden: overgrown, magical, and full of works that seemed to be to be mystical, philosophical, and surprisingly raw.
This work resided on this tall brick plinth at the front edge of Manfred’s property. One of the more clearly figurative works in the collection, her facial expression gave an air of inscrutability and mystery to his space.
This sculpture reclined on Manfred’s front yard. He had a clear fascination with the female form, which was well-represented in both his sculptures and the sketches which covered the walls inside his home.
The exterior walls of his house held some pieces of flat relief work. Here are a few examples:
Entering the back garden, you encountered a path lined with his round works on poles. It seemed like a liminal, wild space in the middle of the city and I was completely enraptured. Partway in, I was startled and pleased to discover that Manfred and I both used the Et In Arcadia theme in our work.
Deeper into the garden… Manfred had these pieces on display here and there, with some effort at whimsical-but-warning at the pond.
My personal favourite piece in his collection is this Pan-like figure with four sides:
It bothers me that I don’t know what happened to Manfred’s work after his passing. I’m eager to hear from anyone who can tell me. Please contact steph@in-arcadia.ca.
Jurgen Mohr, who collaborated with Manfred on the Champlain Monument project for the City of North Bay, provided the following photos of the man himself, and additional relief sculptures he created. With thanks to Jurgen:
