The
reading “Green Dreams: Gardens” that forms part of a book called “Eccentric
Spaces” by Robert Harbison has a beautiful concept about gardens and the space
that they reflect. Honestly, when I started reading the chapter I got a little
lost with all the descriptions and comparisons that the author was saying about
different types of gardens. I wasn’t quite sure to what place the author was
trying to take me. It wasn’t until the end that I confirmed my interpretation
and understood the essence of the reading and the purpose of it.
“Green
Dreams: Gardens” talks about gardens as a space where men shape nature at their
will in order to create art. It is a space that builds different readings and
tries to recapture something, to recreate something. I think that they also
function as a reminder of the incredibly mysterious beauty in nature. However,
gardens also contain a reflection of contradictory forces between nature and
humans, in which these both forces are constantly battling. Gardens are a metaphor
and a species of “invisible city”, an imaginary space that comes from men’s
minds. They have a magical and highly hypnotic enchantment in where imitation
and creation takes place.
I like your connection to "Invisible Cities" but I'd like to hear more about Harbison's ideas. Did you look up any of the gardens? What did you think about Orsini's monsters? Look them up--pretty fabulous!
ReplyDeleteHi Carol. Thanks! I did look up a few gardens, such as Tivoli and Boboli, but I didnt look up Bomarzo until now. Oh my god! The Orsini's sculptures are just amazing. It sincerely blew up my mind! This book need to be read while looking up to the gardens and places mentioned in it, otherwise the description is hard to picture. Thanks for your recomendation :)
DeleteI'm definitely looking forward to buy this book!
Delete