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How Isamu Noguchi pioneered land art | Architecture | Agenda | Phaidon

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HowIsamuNoguchipioneeredlandart

HowIsamuNoguchipioneeredlandart
Ontheanniversaryofthesculptorsbirth,welookathowhislandworkservedasanexampleforotherartists

RELATEDBOOK

TheNoguchiMuseum
APortrait
Hardback|English

USD$49.95
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TinaBarney'sphotographfromTheNoguchiMuseumAPortrait
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LookInside

TheChicagoartistTheasterGatesmadetheheadlinesearlierthis
yearforturningderelictbuildingsintopublicartprojects.
Meanwhile,MichaelHeizerfeaturedinthepress,ashishugeland
artwork,City,whichtheartistbegunin1972,approached
completion.Theresnodenyingeitherartistspioneeringspirit,yet,

YOUMAYALSOLIKE

eachfindsprecedenceinoneearlierwork.

Thestorybehindthe
otherNoguchi
Museum
Youprobablyknowabout
theNewYorkNoguchi

TheJapaneseAmericansculptoranddesignerIsamuNoguchi,
whowasbornontodaysdate,November17,backin1904,might
bebestknownforhisfecundworksinstoneandwood,yethealso
regardedhimselfasalandscapearchitect,andboughtupanentire
blockinQueens,NYC,duringthelaterhalfofthe20thcentury,
whichhesubsequentlyturnedintotheNoguchiMuseum.

museum,butdidyou
knowtheartistfounded

oneinJapantoo?

StephenShore:From
GalileetotheNegev
Hardback|English

StephenShore:The
Natureof
Photographs

USD$100.00

Paperback|English

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TinaBarney'sphotographfromTheNoguchiMuseumAPortrait

Thatmightseemlikearemarkablyselfinvolvedprojectforanartist
toundertake,yetmuseumanditsaccompanyingsculpturepark,
whichcelebratesits30thanniversary,rosequitenaturallyoutofthe
artistsdiversepractices.
Asweexplaininournewbook,TheNoguchiMuseumAPortrait,
in1961NoguchirelocatedfromManhattantoLongIslandCity,
Queens,purchasingasinglestorycommercialbuildingonthe
southwestcornerof10thStreetand33rdRoad.

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StephenShore'sphotographfromTheNoguchiMuseumAPortrait

Themoveservedthreedistinctpurposes.Noguchifoundthe
neighborhood,withitsskilledartisanshopsandsuppliersofstones
andmetals,highlyconducivetohisstudiopractice,thebook
explains.Itsremotelocationofferedtheopportunitytomaintaina
monasticlifestylewithfewvisitorsdroppinginfurthermore,the
studioa3,200squarefootbuildingsuitedhisneedsperfectly,
asitgavehimspacetodeveloparesidentialloftandastudioin
whichtoworkonalargescale.
Scalewasimportanttotheartistheproducedanumberofhuge
publicworks,fromformalparkstofineartearthworks.Buyingup
thederelictlotsthatsurroundedhisinitial10thStreetpropertydid
notonlysuithisneedforspace,butalsohisartisticsensibilities.
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How Isamu Noguchi pioneered land art | Architecture | Agenda | Phaidon

StephenShore'sphotographfromTheNoguchiMuseumAPortrait

HeinvitedTimDuVal,formerlyofPlantSpecialists,alocalLong
IslandCitybusiness,tohelpfindunusualtreesandplant
specimensindigenoustotheEastCoast,thetextexplains,adding
thattheartisthadaparticularlikingforaJapanesepinefromLog
islandthathadgrownatanunusualangle,havingbeenhitby
hurricanewinds.
Similarly,Noguchiappreciatedtheexposedsteelandwoodbeams
foundintheinteriorspacesoftheoldfactoryandincorporated
theseintohisdesignforthemuseumgalleries.

StephenShore'sphotographfromTheNoguchiMuseumAPortrait

Themuseum,whichfinallyopenedin1985,justthreeyearsbefore
theartistsdeath,stillretainsmanyofthesefeatures,andcanbe
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How Isamu Noguchi pioneered land art | Architecture | Agenda | Phaidon

consideredasaworkofartinitsownright.
Today,welookuponayoungergenerationofAmericanartistsas
RobertSmithsonandMichaelHeizer,whenweconsiderthe
pioneeringyearsofLandArt.YetcouldNoguchisworkinQueens
haveinfluencedlaterpractitionersandenvironmentalists?

TinaBarney'sphotographfromTheNoguchiMuseumAPortrait

Ina1986ARTnewsinterview,conductedsoonafterhismuseum
opened,andquotedbytheNoguchiMuseumsJennyDixon,inthe
introductiontoourbook,theartistsaid,alotofthem[youngartists]
haveevincedaninterestinenvironmentalthings,andImayhave
hadsomeinfluenceonthat.AndIwishthemtoseehowIgottoit,
andmaybetheywillbeemboldenedbythat.Insteadoftryingto
teachpeoplebygivingthemmoneytopursuesomething,give
themanexample.

StephenShore'sphotographfromTheNoguchiMuseumAPortrait

30yearson,andoveracenturyafterhisbirthNoguchisselfmade
museumcontinuestoofferthatexample.Forgreaterinsightinto
themuseum,getournewbookformoreonsitespecificartinthe
AmericasgetArtandPlaceformoreonTheasterGates'swork
buyourmonographandformoreonradicallandscaping,consider
30:30LandscapeArchitecture.
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How Isamu Noguchi pioneered land art | Architecture | Agenda | Phaidon

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