garden walk-through tour

Welcome to the Black Forest Garden Gallery. Located in the heart of the asphalt and cyber-jungle, the Black Forest is a cool oasis where you can experience nature and creativity with a refreshingly different twist.

At the Black Forest Garden Gallery you will find "one of a kind" sculptures, unusual fountains and bird baths, exotic botanical arrangements including Bonsai and suiseki, along with beautiful flowering plants and trees. Creatively functional items for your home and garden can also be found including furniture, vases, candle holders, lamps bird houses, feeders and designer rocks.

The gallery is the work of environmental artist Richard Pocapalia. Rich designed the Black Forest as a metaphor for the current state of our rapidly deteriorating environment. (Hence, the black, dead and dying forest.)

The purpose of the gallery is to educate and inspire all that see and interact with it. Rich hopes that people will think twice before throwing things away, explore their creativity and love their mother (Earth). "If we don't take care of her, she won't take care of us."

Rich works primarily with "trash" that societies discards and found objects, both natural and man-made. They are statically assembled (balanced in place) on the site where found. There is no forcing of the pieces. "If it doesn't fit naturally, it doesn't belong." Pieces are adhered for display or moving purposes only. Most of the components are found within a ten to fifteen foot radius of each other which gives the finished piece a sense of time and place. All of Rich's creations are "one of a kind." There is no duplication unless requested, and even then it may be impossible. Commissioned pieces available upon request.

Visit the Black Forest Garden Gallery located within Sunflower Farms at 17609 South Western Ave. in Torrance, California. Open Monday - Saturday 8:00am to 5:00pm, Sunday 10:00am to 4:00pm. The phone number at the gallery/nursery is (310) 324-6972. For a personalized tour by Rich please call (310) 832-0147 for an appointment in advance.

   about the artist >

   the art of recycling >

   walk through the garden gallery >