Garden Spot 1994

Artificial turf, chain link gate, photo plaque
20’ x 20’
Historically horticulture was considered an art form on a par with painting and literature. There was a clear exchange between horticulture and various disciplines such as landscape painting, architecture, religion, textile design, poetry and medicine to name a few. The design of a particular garden had great symbolic meaning and mediated the relationship between culture and nature. Gardens through history reflect shifts in societal attitudes in regard to these issues.
“Garden Spot” calls attention to contemporary relationships between culture and nature, architecture and landscape, art and decoration through its use of the historic garden plan at Fontainebleau. A historic ground plan manifests the spirit of a particular culture at a particular time. Here it is rendered in contemporary materials (artificial turf) and located outdoors in the parking lot of a contemporary art gallery, Sue Spade Fine Art. Gates are used at the entrance of a garden in order to signal the transition from one environment to another. The design and material of the gate along with a plaque with an image of Fontainebleau serve as additional markers of meaning. The resulting hybrid of forms and references represents a consideration of place and time.