Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Hibiya Godzilla Square
Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.
Three Mile Island Historical Marker
Historical Marker.
Naval Air Station Richmond
Today, all that’s left of the mishap-plagued dam is its powerhouse.
Historic Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The first photo of the “woolly devil” made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.
How the Woolly Devil, Member of a New Plant Genus, Was Discovered on a Hike in Big Bend
about 10 hours ago
You don’t need to go to Turkey to see hundreds of hot air balloons rising.
Dear Atlas: Where Can I Find the Most Unusual Festivals in the U.S.?
1 day ago
Located in Indianola, Mississippi, Club Ebony hosted performances by blues legends like B.B. King.
How Club Ebony Helped Keep the Blues Alive in the Jim Crow South
1 day ago
Spot Gentoos and other species of penguins waddling, swimming, and diving from icebergs.
Adventure at Sea: An Explorer’s Guide to Antarctica
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Berkeley Mark Olivier's Yard Art

Mark Olivier's Yard Art

One man's prolific, decade-long quest to turn trash into artistic treasure.

Berkeley, California

Added By
joel
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
More of Oliver’s sea-borne sculptures   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
More of Oliver’s sea-borne sculptures   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
Side view of Mark Oliver’s home   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
The best yard in Berkley?   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
Sculpture pulled from the sea in the yard   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
Blue poodle.   Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
  James Ricci / Atlas Obscura User
  James Ricci / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

"The sheer volume of junk found on beaches or dumped nearby astonishes and disheartens me, but I have found a creative re-use for it." – Mark Olivier

After walking his dog along the waterlines of San Francisco Bay for more than two decades, in 2005 Mark Olivier had an epiphany born of sadness and disgust. Day after day, the shores between Point Molate and the Bay Bridge were littered with so much flotsam and jetsam that it seemed a shame to let it just sit there. Ever since that day, Olivier has dedicated himself to hauling the refuse home with him, where he makes something beautiful, if not immediately useful, out of their remains.

The label of "self-taught artist" suits Olivier nicely:  99% of his sculptures' materials are in the same state as when he found them, though he'll cut, bend, combine, and otherwise form elements from his vast stockpile of briny treasures in order to build each piece. Though there's no predicting what the sea will turn up, especially at low tide when the waters recede to reveal submerged metallic bits, Olivier's work can include various plastics, bones, lighters, wooden fragments, nautical gears, the occasional shoe, and more.

Having originated in the sea itself, Olivier's creations tend to be pretty weatherproof, which makes spotting his house anything but a challenge. His works cover the exterior of his Berkeley home and are scattered throughout his lawn and garden. Some of Olivier's neighbors have even caught his spirit, going so far as to decorate their own yards with his colorful sculptures that were pulled from the sea and given a second life.

Related Tags

Art Sculptures Found

Community Contributors

Added By

leiris

Edited By

littlebrumble, Mom0ja, hrnick, berkeleygal...

  • littlebrumble
  • Mom0ja
  • hrnick
  • berkeleygal
  • Britta Shoot
  • James Ricci
  • Anna Minster

Published

February 22, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.cityofberkeley.info/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=64726
  • http://quirkyberkeley.com/major-quirky-9-beach-detritus-art-1118-colusa/
  • http://www.spacesarchives.org/explore/collection/environment/mark-oliver-sculptures/
  • google street view
  • http://quirkyberkeley.com/major-quirky-9-beach-detritus-art-1118-colusa/
Mark Olivier's Yard Art
1118 Colusa Ave
Berkeley, California, 94707
United States
37.886282, -122.278511
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Aftel Archive of Curious Scents

Berkeley, California

miles away

Thornburg Village

Berkeley, California

miles away

Berkeley Poetry Walk

Berkeley, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Berkeley

Berkeley

California

Places 24
Stories 6

Nearby Places

Aftel Archive of Curious Scents

Berkeley, California

miles away

Thornburg Village

Berkeley, California

miles away

Berkeley Poetry Walk

Berkeley, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Berkeley

Berkeley

California

Places 24
Stories 6

Related Places

  • A large sculpture in a field with a rainbow behind it.

    Chattanooga, Tennessee

    Sculpture Fields at Montague Park

    Stroll among more than 50 large-scale sculptures created by world-class artists.

    Sponsored by Chattanooga Tourism
  • In Mirror Labyrinth, Jeppe Hein creates a circular maze of reflective panels.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden

    This free sculpture garden is home to over 90 artworks and installations from artists around the world.

  • Basel, Switzerland

    Hammering Man

    This 42-foot tribute to the workforce still reminds us to pause and recharge.

  • An easter egg through magnifying glass. The actual height is  4.5 mm, the beads 0.15-0.35 mm

    Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Russkiy Levsha (The Russian Lefty Museum)

    Home to artworks so small you need a microscope to see them.

  • Treviso, Italy

    Simon Benetton Museum

    A workshop-turned-museum showcasing the late sculptor's work.

  • Wemding, Germany

    'Zeitpyramide' ('Time Pyramid')

    An abstract sculpture that will be a work in progress for the next 1,000 years.

  • Framingham, Massachusetts

    Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller Collection

    The largest collection of works by a pioneering Black woman sculptor is on display at this Massachusetts art museum.

  • Gene Frankel Theater

    New York, New York

    'Dreams of Hyperion'

    A unique collection of figures perform down the facade of the Gene Frankel Theatre.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.