Author: Francesca Cigola (Princeton Architectural Press, 2013)
In my short time studying the world of design, I have tried to fully embrace as many facets of creativity as possible. This is one of the reasons I opened Art Parks: A Tour of America’s Sculpture Parks and Gardens, and as I did so, I was ready to travel to a place focused on natural landscapes. To real places that are simply beautiful in the everyday sense—versus the “engineered” landscapes of, say, Landscape Futures—and whose natural terrain had some meaningful relationship with the sculptures within them. In many ways, Francesca Cigola’s book did not disappoint. But there are a handful of issues that those interested in the book should be aware of.
One of the book’s strongest attributes is a larger design and structure that allows one to easily navigate the sections that Cigola has created. There is a preface by Catherine Seavitt Nordenson, followed by an introduction by the Cigola, himself—both of which are rather short. This leads into the main content that is broken into three sections: Leisure Spaces, Learning Spaces, and Collectors Spaces.
Based on this format, one would assume that the content would breakdown relatively straightforwardly, with Leisure Spaces being more recreation based, for example, while Learning Spaces focusing more on interactive experiences, and Collectors Spaces highlighting privately used areas. This was not the case, however, and although there was certainly some logic in the structure of the book, as a layperson looking into the subject for the first time, the fact that the connections were not apparent made the strong, simple structure feel somewhat arbitrary.
With respect to the content itself, it is clear that Cigola knows the art world intimately and is very passionate about the subject. At times, the simple, succinct and elegant descriptions of certain projects were powerful in their effect. For instance, writing about the Noguchi Museum Sculpture Garden in New York, Cigola writes:
“The late Noguchi himself came up with the idea for the sculpture garden and had it built in a converted industrial building next to his studio in Long Island City, Queens, New York, where he began working in the 1960’s…The actual garden area is a sheltered green space with a path that runs between the works exhibited outdoors, leading to a building with ten galleries that contain sculptures, models, and drawings.”
The simplicity of this description makes it accessible to readers of all backgrounds, giving people a glimpse into the history of the park and allowing them to visualize it easily even without referring to the images of the works included.
As someone who does not have in-depth knowledge of this type of art, the writing fell short is areas that listed the many different artists work on display at specific locations. Clearly, a person with more comprehensive foundation in artists and works of this kind would be able to appreciate to this aspect of the book more readily. But as a part of the uninitiated, I was left with many questions.
One of the more disappointing aspects of Art Parks, related to the above, was the lack of photographs. Although one can appreciate the economics behind book publication and all the trouble required to attain photographs of works from across the America, there was typically only one photo per park site, with the occasional two page follow-up spread. Thus, Cigola had to rely a lot on listing works, as mentioned earlier. Despite the fact that the photographs the reader is treated to are beautiful and captured the essence of the work shown, the sheer number referred to in the text left me wanting (many!) more. As a result, one cannot help but question the decision to include so few.
Overall, Art Parks: A Tour of America’s Sculpture Parks and Gardens had a number of strengths, making it worth reading, especially for those with a background in the subject and/or those looking for a “tourists guide” type book focused on sculptural gardens. As a layperson, however, well aware of the ability of gardens and sculpture to inspire and provoke, the book unfortunately fell slightly short of the mark. Hopefully, a future edition of Art Parks will iron out some of the kinks and allow it to live up to its full potential.
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For more information on Art Parks, visit the PAP website.
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Jeremy Senko is happily lost in the world of theoretical architecture and design. He is forever a student at heart, consistently reading, experiencing and learning about the world he inhabits. More specifically, he recently completed his Bachelor of Interior Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where he pushed the limits (and the patience) of his professors.
