sculpture
Over and over again, I've said and written that the water should not be seen as the most important element in a well-designed space. In fact, I've said it so often that it's almost become a cliché, and that's a shame, because it tends to trivialize the valid point that all elements in a given space - plants, rocks, hardscape, lighting, artwork and water - need to co-exist in visual balance to create an overall experience. This concept of visual balance should indeed be the heart and soul of all our exterior designs, but it's apparent
Watershaping advanced by leaps and bounds from 1999 through 2004 – a journey of artistry…
Creating granite waterfeatures is not unlike the delicacy of deep-water yacht racing: Racing big boats across the open sea requires intuitive sense in harnessing the raw powers of nature, much as do the creative insights needed to take raw monoliths from quarry walls and produce elegant expressions that reflect our primal essence. Both endeavors must gracefully balance the unbridled forces of nature. In yacht racing, wind and waves must be brought into harmony with a yacht's unique rigging and sails by its skipper and crew. With granite waterfeatures, an innate sense of harmonic balance must be struck between granite and/or water, the landscape and the human observer's ability to appreciate solemnity. In my case, these harmonies have consistently been found in asymmetry. Indeed, I've come to feel confident with the premise that people are, knowingly or not, drawn to the asymmetrical balances they see in nature. I also see both art and architecture as skillful reflections and expressions of what we have observed in nature from time immemorial. To that end, I try to create works that draw their form and spirit from the intuitive balance of asymmetry. Whether sculpting a landscape, setting stones in a rock garden or
From the start, it's been a project that has taken its direction from the art, spirit and cultural heritage of the clients and has always been much more to me than just another opportunity to design an attractive backyard and swimming pool. I've always gravitated toward work that lets me treat spaces with a sense of spirituality and a respect for the energy and sanctity of nature that ultimately will resonate with clients beyond the purely visual and functional aspects of the design. Often, those qualities are expressed in subtle ways that I end up appreciating more than my clients, but in the case of the project seen here, there was a joy and ease to the work because the clients shared my sensibilities. As a result, the work
In 1997, the City of Palm Springs Arts Commission held a national competition for a sculpture to be placed in a prominent public space, the Frances Stevens Park. I was intrigued by the site's high visibility - and by the fact that the California city wanted a sculpture that used water in a desert setting. Working from my studio on the East Coast, I put together an initial proposal that included a number of ideas - provocative to me, but not yet fine-tuned. It wasn't until I actually visited the site in Round Two of the selection process that I knew just how perfect a setting was being offered - a wide-open space in the center of town, ringed by tall palm trees and low-lying buildings with the stunning
Since the dawn of civilization, it has stood as the single most enduring of all artistic media: From representations of mythological characters and historic events to applications as purely architectural forms and fixtures, carved stone has been with us every step of the way. As modern observers, we treasure this heritage in the pyramids of Egypt and Mesoamerica. We see it in the Parthenon in Athens, in the Roman Colosseum and in India's Taj Mahal - every one of them among humankind's finest uses of carved stone in the creation of monuments and public buildings. As watershapers in particular, we stand in awe before the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the glorious waterworks of the Villa d'Este and the fountains of Versailles, three of history's most prominent examples of carved stone's use in conjunction with water. But you don't need to
This project is an example of what can happen when you work under ideal conditions. Set in an affluent enclave in Paradise Valley, Ariz., on a spectacular five-acre estate, the home is a model of Old West styling, with the exposed wooden supports and smooth plaster exterior you'd expect to see in a house built in the Arizona Territory in the 19th Century. It's also graced with all the comforts of a modern estate home. The homeowners are repeat clients of mine - and good friends as well. They've owned other properties in the area, and I've had the pleasure of working with them on three other watershaping projects in addition to the one shown here - perhaps our finest collaboration so far. They love art of all sorts, and when it comes to a home's exteriors and especially to its water elements, they view the work as pure creative expression. Typically, their tastes run to the modern, which meant this home was something of a departure for them. It came with beautiful grounds, a winding driveway, gorgeous trees, a man-made brook and pond, all sorts of beautiful views - spacious, yet secluded, an oasis in the midst of crusty, arid, mountainous terrain. The place also had a small, courtyard pool. Typical of work done 20 or 30 years ago, it was something the clients knew they wanted to
The Light and Space Movement first emerged in the beachfront community of Venice, Calif., during the 1960s, when a group of artists collectively began to explore and redefine the way art was observed and appreciated. Leaders of the movement - painter and sculptor Eric Orr; Robert Irwin, who later designed the gardens at the Getty Center in Los Angeles; and environmental artist James Turrell - started by breaking down the transformative processes of art and minimalism, defining the character of their movement through
At its most basic, public art creates spaces in which people experience art without paying hard-earned dollars to own it or going to a museum or gallery to see it. Public art is also about giving everyone within eyeshot new types of experiences amid their daily routines. Perhaps it's an object they'll pass on the way to the subway or an environment they'll spot out of the corner of an eye as they drive to the grocery store. Maybe it's a place where people gather to eat lunch or a landmark for arranging meetings with friends. Whether it's familiar to the viewer or sneaks up unexpectedly, the work becomes
Tucked into a small cove in the mountains behind La Quinta in California's lower Coachella Valley, The Quarry Golf Club is hidden, ultra-private and basically unknown to all but members of the golfing elite and the wealthy few who play the course. First conceived by entrepreneur Bill Morrow and designed by renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio, the course is a prime example of just how beautiful golf courses can be - and of how critical a role landscaping and watershapes can play in defining their character and aesthetics. Our challenge was to embroider the course's 18 PGA-sanctioned, championship-caliber holes with
