Isamu Noguchi

''Everything is sculpture. Any material any idea without 

hindrance born into space, I consider sculpture.''

Ismamu Noguchi

Ismamu Noguchi was a Japanese American craftsman, sculpture, and landscape architect, had a world wide reputation mainly for this public abstract art work, his richness in culture experience and heritage from Japan, US and his time spent aboard in European countries such as Paris., and having worked with many artist's and sculptors such as Constantin Brancusi, Alexander Calder, and Alberto Giacometti gained him inspiration to become an master mind. His career stretched over six decades from developments and changes of Modernism to Post Modernism.

Ismamu Noguchi as an great profile of works worldwide that has gained him the international reputation , but his reputation tends to be more on his artistic side as an sculptor rather then a designer.  His sculptural style of representing public art work had a whole different design language. He believed in that his job has an sculptor's was to shape the space, giving the space a meaning and value. 

Noguchi had a passion and valued space and landscape that gave him the understanding of the space to bring art into the space to compliment the landscape. His work changed in scale from small pieces of sculptures to large open public spaces and parks. Noguchi had the ability to engage with the with the space, throughout his career path for six decades , his drive to experiment, with his dedication and passion to design and create art, pushed many boundaries and limits. 

As an Landscape Architect Noguchi created and design number of parks, playgrounds, gardens private and for Universities. His work within landscape didn't stop him to be expressive and bold about his designs. His designs within landscape also screamed out his name. He had his signature from beginning to end.

Within my research I came across Noguchi and I am glad I did, reading about his life, his work and success has inspired me. He was a man that didn't really care what people said about him, his work was excepted after when people saw his passion for what he creates and designs. His gardens does remind me of Martha Schwartz style of designing, then again Martha Schwartz followed and admired Noguchi's work as well. 

For further information and to view all his work visit http://www.noguchi.org/ The Noguchi Museum.

Red Cube by Isamau Noguchi

Moerenuma Park 

189 Hectare Park all designed and created by Isamu Noguchi. Well if you ask for my opinion it also looks like a Masterplan., an amazing Masterplan which has been designed and created with such passion and imagination.

''The Whole Park is a Sculpture''

 

Forest of Cherry Trees

Moere Beach

Play Mountain 

Tetra Mound

Music Shell

Aqua Plaza

Sea Fountain

Glass Pyramid ''HIDAMARI''

Mt. Moere

For more information on the park and detailed information on all the spaces designed by Isamu Nogcuhi can be found on this link  http://www.sapporo-park.or.jp/moere/english.php 

Images have been taken from the actual website.

Peter Walker

Peter Walker (Image taken from google images)

An landscape architect with an international reputation for his work from small scale work gardens to large scale urban city plazas. His approaches to landscape designs are minimal been inspired by minimal  art believing it has an unique expression as well as inherent inspiration from the past from Zen Gardens, Geek Temples and also Renaissance. As well as approaching designs in an artist mind, Peter Walkers  analysis the relationships and approaches designs with diversity of geographic contexts and cultural contexts.

''Peter Walker: ''Landscape as Art'' : by Process Architecture - An great book to read if your interested or inspired by Peter Walker and his landscape architecture.

Here I will like to share an interview/conversation between Peter Walker and Yoji Sasaki, which did get me thinking and to understand Peter Walkers approaches to designs in his own style and how he separates - Art from Design - Design from Art or -  or How both relates to each other.

A conversation with Peter Walker Yoji Sasaki (page 25) 

Yoji Sasaki: Then What is the difference between art and design?

 

Peter Walker: The main difference between art and design is function. Design MUST function. Art MAY function. When design ceases to function, it can only be considered as art. When design DOES function, it can be considered as art AND design. Now, a building or a garden must in some manner be enter able. Therefore, even if you're going in only mentally, it has to be spatial. At the simplest level, the viewing gardens are functional. They function as elements of religious ceremony - of contemplation, if you will.

''a sculptor or a painter have a signature, or some obvious way of making his work recognisable. It's very difficult, but not impossible, for landscape architect to have a signature. The more site-specific your art is, the harder it is to impose a signature, because the art is interacting with the forces of the site - the smaller the project - a series of small gardens, for example - easier it is to develop a signature, because the situations are similar and constant, and the form can dominate the site. Architecture tends to dominate the site. Urban architecture tends to dominate the site even more than suburban or rural architecture. In Landscape architecture, you rarely have the power to totally changed the site. You're always playing what you are doing  in the landscape against that which you aren't doing: that which somebody else has done, or which is there before'' (page 26 - Peter Walker)

I could say I agree with the statement Peter Walker has said within his conversation with Yoji Sasaki. Landscape Architects tend to have a more difficult job to identify themselves within their landscape designs, if an landscape architect is designing an landscape surrounding an building, the landscape architect tends to approach the design in a more suitable way for the landscape to fit in with the surrounding architecture. So the landscape architect designs an landscape that suits the architecture and compliments the architecture, fits in with the architecture, so wheres the signature of the landscape architect if it's all about the architecture :)

Do you agree with Peter Walker ? What do you think ? :)

Martha Schwartz

 

Martha Schwartz (image from http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/people/faculty/schwartz/)

One of the other Landscape Architects I also looked in to within my research. Her background is in both fields of Fine Art - Print Making and Landscape Architecture. An landscape architect who raises solutions to the level of fine art within her landscape designs. 

Her use of unusual materials, bright colours and interest and attraction to Pop Art artists such as Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns. Martha Schwartz is a woman who expresses her feelings within her designs freely. 

'' I'm the Queen of Low-Budget Jobs''

 (Martha Schwartz interview in the book - Martha Schwartz - Transfiguration of the Commonplace)

She is an landscape architect who has her own style and language within her designs, her landscape designs gives the audience an insight to her own thinking and her own language in design, but also allows the audience to interact within her landscape designs to understand the concept behind the design.

One of the things that has interested me while researching about Martha Schwartz is that like any other landscape architect she also works closely works with architects, but one of the factors about Martha Schwartz is that within her landscape projects, she requires architects to open up their buildings in order for the buildings to communicate with the surrounding landscape. So there wouldn't be isolation between the two or one over powering the other. 

In my opinion I think this is very important aspect especially in today's world we do get massive architectural designs were architecture does take over the landscape and does over power it's surrounding leaving the landscape in shadow. Working alongside architects in projects and designs that include landscapes in the surrounding when two professions come together I will say a more successful approach will be taken.

 

Burle Marx - A Man full of Inspiration

 

Burle Marx 
(Image taken from web http://www.macumbabeach.com/2010/03/burle-marx.php)

As one of our module for third year we were asked to write an critical essay on a topic of our own interest within Landscape Architecture. I decided to look in to the aspect of how art takes part in landscape architecture, how landscape architects combine art within their designs with the boundaries and limitations they take to make an successful design. Art & Design are both totally two different fields of media, both nowadays are used within landscape designs, which tend to be more artistic and expressive landscapes, art been opinion base and design been based on function and use so how does both blend together. Is Landscape Architecture becoming more of Art forms then Design?

So within my research I looked in to the background of many Landscape Architects who had a background history of Art then later on turned their career path to landscape architect but still had the influence of art within their landscape designs. Burle Marx was one of the Artists/ Landscape Architect caught my interest and has widened my inspiration within how I could approach landscape designs of my own work. 

Burle Marx is a man with talent that doesn't stop, been an Artist as well as Landscape Designer/ Architect, Painter, Sculptor, Jewellery Design, and a Singer what more talent can you ask for. Who has a master creative mind, where all his works are as successful. A great artist, whose mind and heart has no boundaries within his designs in landscape. His designs have a feel of culture and tradition, he combines his artistic mind with his designs.

His work has no boundaries, he doesn't worry about limits, his work has culture, love, passion, and spirit that has gained him an international reputation, these many not be the ideal things Landscape Architects first look into within a design, but surely I could see how different time has changed and how things has developed over the years of art been used within design.

The reason why I was hit by Burle Marx is mainly because I have been searching the right direction for myself as a future landscape architect, not knowing the balance between combining Art and Design in to my projects, I have came to the conclusion that I tend to have a more artistic side in approaching designs and don't much look into design functionality of my projects, this research has opened my outlook and ways how I should be more careful while approaching a design. I personally believe nowadays designs look more into functionality with a style of art involved within the design. 

A great book to read is Burle Marx - The Lyrical Landscape, which is foreword by Martha Schwartz a other very successful Landscape Architect who adds her artistic side to her landscape designs, and also admires Burle Marx's work has one of her inspirations.

As quoted within the book by Martha Schwartz;

'' When I think about Burle Marx, I am stuck by sheer gratitude for his existence. As I have always felt a bit of an outsider to the landscape architecture profession, I am forever searching for those kindred spirits who might guide my own exploration and give me faith that my own direction might be of use and bear fruit. Burle Marx has always been and will remain for me a shining light in the somewhat dim universe of landscape art and architecture.'' 

A book full of inspiration landscapes and garden designs with abstract landscape drawings, the use of bold strong colours. And the true story behind Burle Marx and his success.

(Images are taken from google images)