Review by Sharon Brunner
Tom Lakenen and Nancy Barr’s book Lakenenland: the U.P.’s Most Unique Junkyard Art Park is packed with interesting and creative pictures of artwork made from scrap iron and other metals collected from various sources. Lakenen was born and raised in Marquette, Michigan. He pursued his interest and made a career out of that interest after an eight-hour-per-day welding class at the Jacobetti Skill Center while he was a senior in high school. He worked at Industrial Construction jobs for approximately 40 years and belonged to the Pipefitters and Boilermakers Union. Lakenen replaced a destructive habit with building sculptures. The art park is located near Marquette and has many supporters and fans.
Some of the most common themes throughout the book involved the history of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.), paying tribute to people who have passed on and wildlife. Lakenen provided examples of wildlife such as owls, wolves and deer. A mining display and lumberjack sculpture represented U.P. history. A whole display was built that honored people who had lost their lives to cancer. The Indian display on page 35 reminded me of the Crazy Horse monument that is being built in South Dakota.
I liked how Lakenen described where the scraps came from and the heartfelt messages associated with each sculpture. For example, he honored the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan Nurses Association. The nurses reported to work in a place that may have been as scary as a war zone. My hat also goes off to the store clerks. Barr needs to be commended for the design portion of the book. The pictures of the sculptures are very nice and enhanced my desire to visit the park.
One of the most treasured objects for Lakenen was the riggers vise used by ironworkers who assisted with the building of the Mackinac Bridge. My father helped with the building of the bridge. I wonder what tools he used. He passed away in 2005 so I cannot ask him. I have pictures of the various stages of the building of the bridge. Those are my keepsakes from the marvel, the Mackinac Bridge. My sister experimented with welding and constructed a man out of scrap metal. Headlights from an old car served as his eyes. I admire creativity and various forms of art. I have dabbled with watercolors, sewing and crocheting. My main form of creativity is the written word, thoroughly enjoy writing.
Mining has been a big part of the history of U.P. and his display provides a good rendition of that part of our history. One of the books that came to mind was “The Women of the Copper Country” by Mary Doria Russell. Her book described the hardships faced by many families during the mining era. Lakenen’s book reminded me of the movie “Lost in the Woods,” the best children’s wildlife film worldwide which is filled many wild animals such as a mouse, fawn, raccoon and an old box turtle. I was also reminded of a documentary I watched with my dad a while ago called “The Story of Building the Mackinac Bridge” written and produced by Mark Howell.
I recommend this book for its candid pictures of phenomenal sculptures, because of its informative narrative about the history of the U.P., its information about all of Lakenen’s supporters such as the Louisiana Pacific chipboard mill and the Presque Isle Power Plant, its wide variety of topics covered by all the sculptures and its heartfelt messages. Lakenen deserves a pat on the back when he decided to commit more time to sculpting because many people have enjoyed visiting his art park. Snowmobilers have made it a popular spot to stop during the winter months. Lakenen and his buddy Tom kept the fire going for any visitors and created a welcoming atmosphere. Lakenenland is definitely a one-of-a-kind junkyard art park with many interesting sculptures.
Lakenenland: The U.P.’s Most Unique Junkyard Art Park
Author(s): Tom Lakenen with editor Nancy Barr
