How Western artists do gardening
Photographs courtesy of the Getty Center
A Westerner who isn’t a gardener created a Western garden. That’s the short version behind these awe-inspiring “trees” made from rebar and filled with bougainvillea in the Central Garden at L.A.’s Getty Center.
When San Diego artist — read, not a landscape designer — Robert Irwin was picked for the project 14 years ago, he challenged notions of what a garden should be. The result? An ever-changing outdoor museum that’s all West: Tree trunks from industrial leftovers, a floating maze crafted from azaleas, a stream with boulders used to tune the water’s sound.
The floating azalea maze in the Getty Center’s Central Garden
After closing for a few months for (imperceptible) hardscape renovations, the gardens have reopened. So, I don’t care how many pictures you’ve seen of them, or how many times you’ve been, GO.
I saw the host of Victory Gardens putting this bouganvillia and rebar together on one of their epsidodes.
“Solar Power not only reduces greenhouse emissions and provides a renewable energy source. But lowers the cost of your energy bills.”
solar power quotes
[...] really like the trend of artists turning their attention to the garden. Keep it up (in this case, literally). Tags: garden YOU MIGHT ALSO [...]
Hi — very nice metaphors! I teach holistic practitioners how to build their businesses, and I use the idea of the “personal compost pile” quite a lot in reference to life experiences many people would throw away or ignore. When you allow your whole life to be part of who you are now, you obtain quite a wonderful yield from every day! So, like Jillian, I’ll probably borrow the phrase, too because it works on so many levels.
never seen anything like this before, would love to see the floating azalea maze.
I love this concept of creating protection for the plants/trees. I took pictures of this several
years ago when I first visited the Getty. I plan to make some of my own to protect plants
from our local deer.
So excited to see the changes!!! I LOVE the garden, it’s so unique and beautiful! I need to find out if they will be exhibiting Monet anytime soon at the museum.