Accessorize the landscape
1 Sep, 2005 By: Gary Kinman, Cynthia Kinman LDB SolutionsWhich should come first, the garden or the art?
Many landscape designers and sales consultants may be reluctant to suggest dedicating part of the landscape budget to art, fearing it might take away from other areas of the budget. They just want to stick within our industry's typical steak and potatoes: planting, walkways, lighting and irrigation. Why would a landscape designer want to refer an artist's work that may range from $100 to $100,000 or more and give someone else that revenue?
The relationship between art and landscape architecture are intertwined — at times becoming one entity. The landscape enhances the art, and the art enhances the landscape. Bringing landscapes and art together can complete a masterpiece. Landscape art adds sensory stimulation — visually through color and form or through texture. Art can also provide movement and sound unlike any detail created by hardscape elements.
 The three bronze figures depicting "see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil" had an exotic, modernism look. We originally thought a bamboo cane forest behind them would bring out the statues' flavor and provide the homeowner with screening from the house next door. After two years, the bamboo didn't archive the look or screening, so the plantings have been revamped this year. |
Before I had the confidence to suggest integrating art in a project on my own, my clients were the ones who first said "I have a special piece that I would like the landscape to revolve around." To my surprise, it drove the project to a new level. In the end, the client was more appreciative of the results and it made the project bigger, but more importantly, better.
Displaying art in the landscape
There are many ways to bring art into the garden. Sculpture and wall relief are perhaps the most obvious, but there are also garden elements that can double as works of art: trellises, furnishings, water features, even a path or the ground plane. Fences and retaining walls can also become art or incorporate sculptural elements.
 The clients wanted to designate their terrace as an area to showcase their art (above). A sculpture depicting the frog prince and the princess was set atop a "lily pad" that we designed to look like it was floating. We used a piece of weathered rock propped on stone posts that secured it to the bottom of the small pool. We then covered the entire area with a pebble pool finish. |
Who is better equipped to install heavy, bulky items into a landscape but a landscape professional with his skid steer and extra hands necessary to place it? Cast or carved stone or concrete are perhaps the best materials, and are most commonly used for gardens, but they are extremely heavy. Outdoor wall reliefs can also be very heavy and may require special anchors to secure them. Most outdoor art can and should be installed by people with our expertise.
In order to effectively place art in the landscape, there are a few basic steps to follow:
1. Select a location that gives the piece a certain prominence, such as at the intersection where two paths cross, or at the terminus of a path.
2. You can position the artwork to be seen and appreciated from inside the home at specific site lines, or it can be "discovered" as people travel an alluring path or simply walk the grounds. Leave selected corridors open so that the view can be teased as they get glimpses from different locations. You might want to position a bench or seating area from which to appreciate the work.
3. Take the art's background into consideration. A busy background that includes a view of the neighbor's basketball hoop or a complex arrangement of plant material will distract from the art. A solid green background, such as an evergreen hedge or ivy-covered wall will make the piece pop out to the viewer. Plantings can also frame the artwork like a frame sets off a painting.
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