Visionary Landscapes: Japanese Garden Design in North America, The Work of Five Contemporary Masters

by Kendall H. Brown, David M. Cobb (Photographer)

Overview

"In Visionary Landscapes: Japanese Garden Design in North America, Kendall H. Brown explores the work of five contemporary Japanese-style garden designers whom he has designated masters of the art … Several of the book's featured designers evoke Japanese landscape painting in their work. --American Society of Landscape Architects"

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781462919574
Publisher:	Tuttle Publishing
Publication date:	10/31/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	34 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Kendall H. Brown is Professor of Asian Art History at California State University, Long Beach. He recently served as Curator of Collections, Exhibitions and Programs at the Pacific Asia Museum. He received BA and MA degrees in history and art history from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in art history from Yale University. Dr Brown publishes actively in various areas of Japanese art. He is a leading figure in the study of Japanese gardens in North America, and he is the author of Japanese-style Gardens of the Pacific West Coast and Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America

Photographer David M. Cobb is a member of NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) and PPA (Professional Photographers of America). He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and their two cats.

Editorial Reviews

"Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, Visionary Landscapes focuses on recently-created gardens to suggest how the art form is currently evolving, and understanding Japanese garden design principles and practices. Informed and informative, Visionary Landscapes is a delight to browse through and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Gardening & Horticultural collections in general, and Japanese Gardens supplemental studies reading lists in particular." —Midwest Book Review

"Visionary Landscapes caters to gardeners who treat horticulture as a craft or artistry, but also serves as an eye-opening piece for the average reader … It's refreshing to read from an author so passionate about his subject." —Washington Gardener magazine

"In Visionary Landscapes: Japanese Garden Design in North America, Kendall H. Brown explores the work of five contemporary Japanese-style garden designers whom he has designated masters of the art … Several of the book's featured designers evoke Japanese landscape painting in their work." —American Society of Landscape Architects

"Many of us think of Japanese gardens as serene but rigid. This new book showcases the work of five leading landscape architects adapting traditional Japanese design principles to the unique characteristics of North America to create spaces connecting us to nature, even in the midst of a noisy city. The design styles range from classic to contemporary." —Succulents and More blog

"Visionary Landscapes: Japanese Garden Design in North America is an excellent introduction to the history and art of blending Japanese-inspired design ideas into urban and rural gardens on this continent; a beautiful book and a great gift for the gardener on your list who is looking for a bit of contemporary, Japanese-style landscape inspiration." —The Gardener's Eden blog

"While delving into many aspects of Japanese design principles, culture, religion, and philosophy, Kendall Brown's writing is easily accessible to lay people who only have a passing interest in Japanese gardens. David Cobb's exquisite photographs transport us right into gardens featured in the book." —Succulents and More blog

"For hands-in-the-soil fans of Japanese-style gardens, looking at this book might inspire them to expand not only their backyard plantings but their image of classic garden forms and features." —The Oregonian

"Like music, dance, painting, literature and photography, the art of Japanese garden design is forever evolving, nurtured by principles of the original designers interpreted through the techniques of modern designers. Visionary Landscapes beautifully communicates that aesthetic." —Big Blog of Gardening

From the Publisher

07/01/2024

Japanese garden history dates back 15 centuries. National examples include Kenroku-en and Shinjuku Gyoen, and elements of both have become iconic in garden design. In his detailed, reflective introduction, Brown (Asian art history, California State Univ., Long Beach; Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America) describes this artistic transfer as universal art, pointing out that their claiming by such a vast audience separated from both culture and place has defused meaning to the point that Japanese-style gardens are now understood as ones based on a range of aesthetic values, rather than a garden of or in Japan. By examining the work of contemporary gardeners Hoichi Kurisu, Takeo Uesugi, David Slawson, Shin Abe, and Marc Keane in gardens across the U.S., Brown highlights modern garden philosophies and practices. Chapters offer an overview of the gardener and a descriptive tour of multiple garden examples, stressing aesthetic and atmospheric choices while being grounded in biography and craft. VERDICT While the scholarly nature of the book is evident in its endnotes and bibliography, the text and images expand the volume's reach to lay gardeners wanting to both appreciate and learn from these professionals and perhaps model some of their practices.—Neal Wyatt

Library Journal