How has learning about garden art altered your perception of history?

Learning about garden art has changed how I look at gardens.  I now know the importance that gardens have played in history.  From being a place of luxury, to being something that produces herbs and natural medicines we can use in our everyday lives, gardens are all around beneficial to humanity.  Being an art lover, the gardens that displayed the most art are the ones that stood out to me.  As we are studying art it is also important that we recognize the relationship of other art forms with garden art and the roman gardens use their positive relationship to the advantages.  

Looking back in history, it makes me appreciate ancient art and analyze it further.  I rarely noticed the gardens in many of the paintings I love but I now see and understand what they mean depending on the time period.  I love that I can now identify garden features, and I think of historical gardens in a more meaningful light.  Gardens and the plants they bring are crucial to our existence and I appreciate that now.

Describe the character and uses of the different urban greenspaces explored on our Field Trip, and the ways in which these parks are relevant and beneficial to 21st century urban living.

The character of the green space explored in our field trip was pleasant and lush.  The Frederiksberg Gardens were beautiful in the fall, and create a space for people to take walks and enjoy the outdoors, or to push their children in their stroller while enjoying the

scenery.  The clean air and open spaces makes it a place of relaxation and luxury.  In 21^st century urban living especially in Copenhagen there is lots of buildings, and although they are not overbearing, it’s nice to have a place to be in nature.  Another reason that parks are beneficial to urban living is because it provides clean air in the busy urban environment, and has been proven to have positive mental health benefits. 

        

When living in an urban area there can be a lack of space for kids to be active, for example there are rarely backyards.  With parks kids are able to be active in their day-to-day lives.  Getting their daily energy out, kids performance and mood improves.  Even when it comes to adults, it a good place to take a run without any cars around.  In urban living Parks are very curtail in everyday life.

Which expression of garden art / garden style that we have studied so far this semester resonated most strongly with you personally? Explain why.

The expression of garden style that resonated with me is the roman style gardens.  The peristyle gardens interest me because they are for the private sphere.  The luxury of a garden often used by one family is something that I would love to have in my home.  To have a place to relax and do work that is filled with frescos and plans would help anybody to relax on a daily basis.   The meaning of the garden that it is for praising gods and relaxing is my favorite purpose for a garden and personally what I feel that gardens should be used for.  The public gardens and ones meant for many families and all the pubic are great but I picture gardens as quaint as they were during the roman style.

            Being an art lover, the gardens that displayed the most art are the ones that stood out.  The use of frescos and art and to be able to show it off in the garden is something I would love to do in a garden. As we are studying art it is also important that we recognize the relationship of other art forms with garden art and the roman gardens use their positive relationship to the advantages.  I would have loved to see other gardens that used painting and frescos as prominently as the Romans did but this is the reason the roman garden stood out to me.

Photo Credits:

http://www.lifeinitaly.com/garden/roman-garden.asp

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/gardening/article-2301045/Pompeii-Exquisite-frescoes-reveal-just-enchanting-Roman-gardens-were.html

https://www.pinterest.com/wildrosewoman/roman-garden-frescoes/

Characterize the Italian Renaissance Garden

Man vs. nature could characterize the Italian renaissance gardens.  This common tug and harmony between the two creates a unique type of garden, one that utilizes the earth to its fullest.  Garden art and nature are often viewed blurred together because it is manipulation of nature without changing the raw material; it is considered one with nature. Jacopo Bonfadio says “a third nature” would mesh together art and nature where they improve each other no matter what order they are manipulated in.  This is a concept that exists in the every day life of the people during the Italian renaissance.

The Italians had a very specific way they liked to organize their gardens, a “divine order”.  The owner should be able to look and admire from the villa and at the villa; therefore the villa will be raised above the garden.  The gardens had a lot of symmetry and proportion, while framing the villas; this can also be referred to as axial alignment.  Early Italian renaissance gardens were made for thought and pleasure.  When the Medici came into ruling they used the garden to show their power and rule. Some key features of the Italian renaissance garden its terraces, a pergola, a water organ, and a fountain. During this time a large step was taken in the direction of having more high tech features and an example of this is the water organ, which played noises similar to the song of birds through water pressure. The focus is on the way plants are planted, location, color, height; it determines how one experiences a garden.  Some plants and sculptures are even used as status symbols and messages. The Italian Renaissance gardens purpose is to show the beauty of nature and inspired many of the gardens that came after it.

Photo citations:

http://www.ctrlzak.com/archive/SP_Topiaria.html

http://www.arabianknightonline.com/Details/866/Renaissance-gardens-inspire-Bulgari-jewels-

What does the word ‘garden’ mean to you?

A garden can be described from many different perspectives.   A garden from the eyes of a passer-by is aesthetically pleasing; it takes an empty space and gives one something to gaze at with desire.  From the perspective of an artist a garden is a way of speaking and evoking emotion.  A garden can tell a person what any other art form can through color, style choice, and placement.  The word garden means another form of communication for humans; I can read a garden as I read a book, and enjoy a garden as I enjoy a painting, it is an art form.  Gardens can serve all different purposes such as showing wealth, being places of warship, or simply for leisure. 

            A concept that we discussed in class that stuck with me the most is that a garden is an escape from the outside world, with the cool shade that the trees provide.  No matter what purpose it is meant to serve it is relaxing and can help one think about the little things in life while being one with nature.  In general, the idea of a garden being an escape backs up the concept of it being an art form; it is a way to take a step into something beautiful that provides the viewer with more than meets the eye, such as a fantasy story, a piece of history, or an intended feeling.

            The word garden to me means art.  It may be beautiful from the outside but the deeper meaning is what gives it a purpose.  Being an artist (my medium is photography) the depth of the art and the room for thought is what makes it beautiful and when I look at a garden I see that depth as I learn more about its meaning.  Some example of this art is:

Photo citations:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greenhouse_in_Botanical_garden,_Copenhagen.jpg

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/botanical-gardens/

http://www.copenhagenet.dk/cph-map/CPH-Botanical.asp

http://www.broketourist.net/university-of-copenhagen-botanical-garden/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights

Garden art evolving as an art form:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/11464002/Art-of-the-garden-royal-horticulture-through-the-ages.html