505 0_ |a A broad practice -- Object to space -- Landform -- Grounds for play -- Garden as sculpture: Paris -- Gardens within bounds -- Sculptures for sculpture: Jerusalem, Houston -- Water: furor & stillness -- California scenario: Costa Mesa -- Noguchi and Japanese aesthetics -- Sculpture(d) park: Sapporo -- Mure, and reflection.

520 __ |a While sculpture remained central to his artistic practice, Isamu Noguchi's (1904-1988) interests and production spanned an exceptionally broad terrain that included furniture and lamps, stage sets for dance, plazas, courtyards--and gardens. Noguchi made no distinction between design, craft, and the so-called fine arts: in his view all of these could all be considered art should their aesthetic qualities sufficiently transcend those generated by the simple address of need. In this comprehensive and richly illustrated study of Noguchi's gardens, noted landscape historian Marc Treib describes and critiques projects that date from his early unrealized projects for playgrounds and monuments to a large park in Sapporo, Japan, whose construction was completed only posthumously. The story begins with the discussion of Noguchi sculpture that relate in some way to actual landscapes, then moves to the dance set designs for Martha Graham, finally entering the realm of actual landscapes with his gardens for the Reader's Digest offices in Tokyo and UNESCO House in Paris.--Amazon.com.