Artscape : a sculpture that happens to be a park : an environmental art park and sculpture garden in conjunction with the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina

摘要

“I like to think of gardens as sculpturing of space: a beginning and a groping to another level of sculptural experience and use. A total sculptural space experience beyond individual sculptures. A man may enter such a space: it is in scale with him; it is real.” — Isamu Noguchi, A Sculptor's World, p.216Artistic expression of the land has thrived from prehistoric to current times, first as monolithic structures of the ancients, then as figurative sculptures of the Renaissance, and more recently as environmental artworks of contemporary designers. These different artistic expressions, combining art and the land, are also becoming incorporated into modern landscape architecture. This project combines the fields of outdoor sculpture, environmental art, and landscape architecture into a single synthesis of art and design for the land.The purpose of this endeavor was to analyze the interaction of sculptures in and of the land, including sculpture gardens and earthwork projects, with their surrounding landscapes so as to discover the most beneficial design approach to art and land design. In an effort to solve this research problem a variety of methods were employed. First, historical literary references such as John Beardsley's Earthworks and Beyond and other noteworthy sources were examined. Then, current design theories and practices concerning outdoor sculpture display, as exhibited through modern sculpture parks, gardens, and earthworks, were interpreted. Finally, contemporary case studies of modern earthwork projects, including Charles Jencks' Garden of Cosmic Speculation, and urban sculpture gardens, including the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, were analyzed.For the practical applications of this research study, an art park was designed for a site and its surrounding context of downtown Raleigh, the state capitol of North Carolina. Located in the currently redeveloping warehouse district of the southwest edge of downtown, this site also borders a planned light rail line and station that play into the development's plan. This site operates in conjunction with and adjacent to the fledgling Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) of Raleigh, a non-collecting institution promoting art education and collaboration within the community. Using a program established from the needs of the art museum and the city parks department, four basic goals of space, aesthetics, connection, and accessibility led the design of this site. In addition to the land art garden, a cultural arts program, consisting of design elements and features throughout the district, was established for the neighborhood to promote cultural identity, historical heritage, and downtown redevelopment. With a variety of differing spaces and places, this arts garden works with the Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh to provide a community park that benefits everyone.