Dancing with Nature

By Morgan Dix Wheelock

Dancing with Nature is a monograph of gardens and sculpture created by Morgan Dix Wheelock, landscape architect, during his forty-five years of professional practice as a landscape architect.

He began his professional career as a three-year apprentice to Japans master architect and landscape architect Masao Kinoshita, at the time a principal of Sasaki Associates under the direction of the American landscape architect Hideo Sasaki.

Wheelocks intuitive method of design is clearly derived from these early days working closely with Kinoshita, who did not have a sufficient mastery at that time of the English language to verbalize his philosophy and technique. Rather, these essentials were taught telepathically and through visual observation.

In the masters mind, no task was too menial to be empty of meaning. It all comes in time. Eat hamburger before you eat steak, said Kinoshita.

This book is based on several lectures given by Wheelock, in which he describes his philosophy using many of his projects to illustrate his method of design and the unique and surprising benefits his Clients have derived from their landscapes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483613093

Book preview

Copyright © 2009-2013 by .

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013905195

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-4836-1307-9

Hardcover 978-1-4836-1308-6

Ebook 978-1-4836-1309-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 09/27/2013

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1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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For Judith, my icebreaker, guide and angel. With infinite gratitude and love.

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Dancing with Nature

Introduction

Historians and critics often label the work of landscape architects with definitions derived from artistic movements or periods such as classic, romantic, modern, postmodern, avant-garde, or mystic. I don’t see my work fitting in with any of these traditions. My design is a process of deep analysis through observation and visualization.

I have always held Harvard in great esteem. There I earned my undergraduate degree in English literature and my graduate degree as a master in landscape architecture. Harvard’s great halls of learning, debate, and rigorous scholarship are awesome. The mind, through the intellect, rules.

I certainly learned much about my profession, its history, and the theories surrounding what is good and not-so-good design. Later, as an apprentice, I often heard my Japanese master declare, Who are to say?

It was then, as I began to practice, that I found my work was the antithesis of the discipline offered in academia. I strayed into a world full of evasive realities not taught in any design schools I know. My work is not based on rigorous scholarship. Rather, I concern myself about our consciousness. The good leads to service to all beings, and the bad leads too easily to the destruction of our planet.

My approach to creative expression is intuitive; thus, it lacks any theoretical definition. I believe design transcends the mind, the intellect, dialogue, and description. I believe design, like music, is best appreciated and understood