Oct 22 Wilson's Whirligigs

Vollis Simpson, the creator, calls them windmills but everyone else says they are whirligigs. Simpson built his first whirligig while stationed in Saipan, Mariana Islands during World War II, but this was no ornamental whirligig; it served a practical purpose: powering a washing machine. Back at home in Lucama, NC, Simpson began creating whirligigs to power his home heating system. Years later, Simpson came to appreciate whirligigs for their less practical qualities. Using scraps from his machine repair shop, Simpson began fashioning whirligigs just to see how they would move in the wind. Eventually he began to call them windmills, and filled his NC farm home with his whimsical creations. His place was known locally as "Acid Park". At night, headlights reflected off the many moving parts of his whirligigs mimicking an acid trip, or so they say.  His unique whirligigs caught national attention. Simpson was commissioned to create four whirligig pieces for the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

There was barely a wisp of a breeze and only one whirligig was doing its thing during my visit. The park opened in 2017 in downtown Wilson NC. Simpson had died in 2013 at 94 years. The park had been in the works prior to his passing and Simpson was involved in refurbishing the pieces that were to be displayed. 

 

If only the wind was blowing

He has been described as an "outsider" folk artist. One might say he created a new form of art. In 2013, the North Carolina legislature named his whirligigs as "the folk art of North Carolina". 

There is even an urban legend (perhaps in this case - a rural legend) about Acid Park. A young man took Simpson's daughter to the High School prom. They took some LSD and were so bedazzled when their headlights reflected off the whirligigs, the car crashed killing Simpson's daughter. The young man died on Simpson's doorstep after telling Simpson what happened. Simpson then began building whirligigs as a tribute to his daughter. Again, that is a tall tale.  

Looking closely at these structures will reveal all sorts of pieces of metal incorporated into a spinning contraption. Old street signs, license plates, farm equipment, polished metal, and any scrap metal make up his building materials. And, he liberally used reflectors in almost every piece. Some appear to be virtually covered in reflectors. So, for my return visit, I'd try to see this place on a windy night. 

I love what Simpson has to say about common sense - "You come across a lot of these people that know so damn much, sometimes you find out they're dumber than I am..."