On Landscapes (Thinking in Action Series)

摘要

Susan Herrington refers to landscape as the 'hidden art'. Although landscapes are part of everyone's life she thinks that they do not get the same level of sustained attention as other art forms. On Landscapes is about 'how to see the invisible' which, she suggests, requires something other than a traditional, historical approach. While some historical landscapes are discussed the book rather explores the many aspects that influence how we experience contemporary landscapes. Those we examine span the world and range from spontaneous memorials to post-industrial parks in Europe; from an unexpected rest stop in France to a former garbage dump turned play park in Japan; from the domestic garage in the USA to Ecokathedral, a garden in Mildam, Holland constructed from the continuous deposit of debris from the city. Questioning what landscapes are and what they mean is, however, where the book begins. An experimental garden laid out with bagels in suburban Boston and a temporary garden comprised of vertical blue sticks in rural Quebec allow us to reflect on the nature of gardens and raise important questions that comprise the first part of the book. Who designs landscapes, what can they represent and are they natural?