Villa Lante - left side
While taking a class in the History of Landscape Design we were asked to render an 15-17th C Italian garden. I chose the Villa Lante because of its beautiful water course shown above. As we moved throught the centuries reviewing various gardens we were asked to superimpose an English Picturesque Garden on a garden of our choice. An 18th C picturesque garden consists of juxtoposing ruggedness with pastorial tranquility. Because I have a hard time with the English Manors as closed enclaves for the wealthy Dukes, Earls and Lords who had no problem raping their colonial underlings on the one hand while back home they kicked their tenant farmers off their lands to create the Picturesque forcing them into Dickensian poverty. Therefore I decided that the one type of garden I could imagine would be for all classes to enjoy - especially children. I added "rooms", informatlity, and follies to create this effect.
Here is my plan of the Villa Lante and below how I chose to transforme it into a park for all.
the whole of Villa Lante transformed into a park for all
michelle henkin bader's design and layout for her kitchen garden
AN ENGLISH GARDEN
A carpet rendering I did over 20 years ago based upon the topography of An English Garden researched at Minnesota Landscape Aboretum http://www.arboretum.umn.edu Eventually we interpreted the design for tiles.
It wasn’t until I started volunteering at the New York Botanical Garden that I realized how influenced I’ve been by nature - and my years studying in Japan. I’d made so many rugs and renderings without being consciously aware how moved I am by our natural environment and other cultures.
We seem to be forever yearning, even if we are not conscious of it, to go back to what is innately familiar. Since we are a part of the great outdoors, this connection is encapsulated in our DNA of human existence. Being a part of nature is a part of our chemical foundation.
From such divergent sources as Louis Barragan to Candace Wheeler, their experiences point in the same direction, that (Scale) we have become removed from our natural surroundings and our homes become the replacement for a very primal connection we crave.
ROCKS AT ISE 1990
Could this be why we love to live with pets? And is electricity just another way to extend the sunshine?