With incisive intelligence and beguiling prose, John Beardsley tells the story of about twenty-five "visionary environments" and the fiercely independent individuals who have created them in the course of the last century. Many of these handmade environments - usually the result of years of obsessive work - express profoundly personal and frequently unorthodox beliefs. These gardens are often a form of persuasion, places to make public the creators' heartfelt ideas about past or future, politics or religion, sexual fulfillment or healthful living. The forms they take are varied and extraordinary, from luminous bottle villages to garishly painted temple compounds, from mock castles to miniature cities, from sculpture gardens populated with biblical and historical figures to artificial grottoes encrusted with glittering geodes. While capturing the spirit of each individual's unique creation, Beardsley also situates the work in the larger contexts of traditional garden design, religious architecture, environmental sculpture, and folk art. He muses about the compulsion to create, the sense of place, and the visionary spirit that has inflamed these artists, quoting at length their own poignant and pungent commentary on what they have created and why. The thought-provoking text combines with dazzling views of the far-flung gardens to make this a richly rewarding and often inspiring volume.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Twenty visionary architects have created unusual landscape/building environments through their revolutionary visions: Beardsley gathers their stories and unorthodox creations in this fine presentation, which blends color photos of their achievements with in-depth profiles of both personalities and artistic insights. This is an excellent and unusual examination of diverse achievements. -- Midwest Book Review
About the Author
John Beardsley, who lives near Washington, D.C., is an independent scholar, curator, and writer whose previous books include Earthworks and Beyond: Contemporary Art in the Landscape as well as the coauthored Black Folk Art in America, 1930-1980 and Hispanic Art in the United States. He has taught in landscape architecture programs at the University of Virginia, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Respectful and comprehensive treatment of outsider artists,
By A Customer
This review is from: Gardens of Revelation: Environments by Visionary Artists (Hardcover)
This is a fabulous book. It is a comprehensive and respectful treatment of outsider artists from the US and abroad. The photos are exquisite and the text is well-written and informative. If you are at all interested in outsider art, this book will be a cherished addition to your library.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
another great beardsley book!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Gardens of Revelation: Environments by Visionary Artists (Hardcover)
a crusader of public art and the outsider's view and place within the landscape, beardsley once again publishes a magnificent chronicle of uniquely driven individuals and their art. highly recommended - excellent for anyone interested in art, landscape, theory, pop culture, sociology...incredibly well done!
3 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Words on Revelation,
By John Preble "UCM Museum Director" (ABITA SPRINGS, LA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Gardens of Revelation: Environments by Visionary Artists (How Artists See) (Paperback)
This is one of those books that I did not enjoy reading but I still feel the book is important. It is not that I agree with the subject - It is just that this book if very very "wordy." Lots of big words - like the kind you put into a college book report. I did read it twice but it is not for me. However at the same time there is some decent info - hidden between the big words - for the person that likes the subject.
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