Odd Coincidence Reviewing my photos from a trip to Houston, I found the pictures below side by side on my camera. the first shot was taken 30,000 feet above a fog covered river in North Carolina. The very next shot I took was of Michael Heizer's Isolated Mass/Circumflex (#2) at the Menil Collection in Houston. Interesting how they echoed each other.
Colonial Modernism This rustic plant support is in the Colonial Williamsburg plant nursery. It kind of reminds me of an Andy Goldsworthy construction.
Prickly Christmas Northpark Center in Dallas had an interesting display of cacti in a couple spots. I'm not sure if the planters below were a permanent or seasonal display, but the white fuzz on the cacti gave it Christmasy feel. Elsewhere in the mall, small cacti were installed around the base of a sculpture.
Retro Forests I came across these models at the American Museum of Natural History. They have something to do with forests and how they change after they've been logged, but I liked them for their graphic design—they'd look great over my couch. They looked to have been installed in the late 50's or early 60's.
A Classic Design This elegant model of Vaux-le-Vicomte is in the André Le Nôtre exhibit in the basement of the château. It consists of colorful diagrams projected across a three dimensional model of the property. A narration, recorded in French, explains all the complexities of the design.
9 comments:
I've been to Vaux-le-Vicomte an saw this display in person. Better yet was to stand in the garden - there's a magnificent play with sight lines in this garden. Standing on the stairs, you can see off in the distance to a huge statue, but can't see all the garden. As you walk toward the statue, the garden is revealed, as is a channel of water for water recreation, that cannot be see from the chateau or midway through the garden.
There are a lot of sophisticated visual tricks going on in the garden. It's an amazing place to visit!
I love the cactus trays at the mall. I imaging when most mall management companies hear the word cactus, they would likely say no. I enjoyed your latest postings on Flickr and was particularly amazed at the garden center you visited, it made me feel inadequate.
I really like that plant support. The displays are fascinating as well.
Les, it would be awful if someone happened to fall on those cacti...
Phillip I really like the varied cactus heights and shapes....certainly not one I would want to put together. Interesting choice of plant material in a public area.
Interesting collection of clippings. I'm trying to account for my attraction to the Williamsburg plant support. It's so gentle, so close to the original materials, very different from the other, highly "processed" things in this post.
Thoroughly engaging group of images. You've eve got me wanting to visit Houston!
Not to mention Colonial Williamsburg.
And... Dallas.
Let's just say I'm inspired, and thank you for providing a stimulating vision to go along with my morning coffee this New Year's Eve.
All best to you,
Alice
Each time I mound driftwood by our pond or observe our simple brush piles, I think of Andy Goldsworthy. Love all the visuals in this post.
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