With a body of work spanning sculpture, dance, furniture, lightning, and landscapes,
Isamu Noguchi is one of the most revered figures in the 20th-century canon. Buckminster Fuller once called described him as "a scientist-artist…one of the rare question-askers and responders" and others have said he's a traditional sculptor who makes contemporary images that relate to history. Historian Martin Friedman notes that "his large-scale architectural conceptions have more in common with the awesome structures of Mesoamerica, Borobudur, and Angkor Wat than current forms." Here, we take a look at four of his public spaces, which feature abstracted forms, monolithic elements, organic influences, and visual references to history.
Slideshow
UNESCO Garden
Paris, France
Noguchi described the spirit of the garden he designed for UNESCO as coming from Japan but the composition of granite, concrete, and wood distinctly his own. The 1958 commission marked his first large-scale public garden design.
Images via annapujadas.cat
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