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Cones, Bert Flugelman.
Later in the month hundreds of landscape architects will head to Canberra for this year's Festival of Landscape Architecture.
That seems like an excuse - not that any is needed - to revisit one of my favourite works of Australian landscape architecture: the Sculpture Gardens at the National Gallery of Australia.
Read moreEarlier in the year, creative powerhouse Nicole Phillips and I had a fun day experimenting with concrete.
It will probably come as no surprise that I was keen to explore pattern and detail, and to see how different shapes and forms would interact with water.
Here's a little Instagram video of the most successful (and yes, it was made with the help of a humble egg carton).
We've just had Concrete Play Day #2, so stay tuned to see what emerges from the rubble this time 'round!
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Image: Robert Montgomery installation, by Alper Cugun via Flickr under Creative Commons licence.
Image: Water Art at River Fork Ranch, by roco via Flickr under Creative Commons licence.
Typographic design by Nicole Arnett Phillips.
When it comes to garden sculpture, the battle lines are clearly drawn: you’re either Team Plastic Flamingo or Team Tyre Swan.
I know, I know, touchy subject, isn’t it.
Or maybe you have a beloved who fashions sculptures out of treasures bought home from the tip?
Read moreQuestion: What could be better than sh*t-hot sculpture in a beautiful park or garden?
Answer: Not much.
At least not in the humble opinion of your correspondent. And as proof I tender into evidence, Your Honour, Exhibit A, the Sculpture Garden at the Art Institute of Chicago.
There are two gardens at the Art Institute, the one to the south designed by the remarkable landscape architect Dan Kiley, and the one to the north by the equally influential Laurie Olin.
It’s separated from the Art Institute’s be-columned façade by some fruity balustrades and planted urns, a get-up that sits surprisingly comfortably beside its more contemporary neighbour.
Olin’s sculpture garden was completed in 1960 and it’s a deceptively simple space. A generous path surrounds a central garden, half of which is open lawn, with the other half given over to a lush floral display.
Gorgeous as the plants are, they struggle to compete with the art. Cubi VII is a stainless steel work by David Smith, installed here in 1963.
The showstopper work is Flying Dragon by Alexander Calder. The painted steel sculpture landed amongst the flowers in 1975, and good luck to you if you think you’ll be able to visit without taking about a thousand photos.
Very simple stone benches line two sides, and they’re detailed so you can face into or away from the path.
The north of the garden is a linear space, with trees lining a soft path.
A Henry Moore bronze, Large Interior Form, juts its hip and tips its head at the end of the way.
A tall wall terminates the eastern end, providing a backdrop for Ulrich Ruckriem’s untitled work, a slab of infinitely textured and coloured granite.
The sculpture garden changes character with the weather. An overcast day clears the crowds, leaving the green garden pulsing with chlorophyll in front of the pale Art Institute building and the pale sky.
When the sun comes out so do the people, flocking to the lawn, and seeking out the quiet seats, the sunny spots, and the shade.
It’s a beautiful thing.