Linda COVIT. Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Orange, Texas (USA)
Canadian artist Linda Covit worked closely with Louisiana landscape architect Jeffrey Carbo, FASLA, to incorporate site responsive sculptural installations into four gardens, resulting in a seamless integration of art and nature. The 252-acre Center emphasises the exploration of each person?s role in the stewardship of the environment, and serves primarily as an educational facility for schoolchildren. Opened to the public in spring 2008, it is certified LEED Platinum.
The sculptural elements are inspired by forms commonly found in nature: stripe, circle, branching, and spiral. In each garden, a drawing of a plant detail, referencing one of the plants within its site, is cut out of a double layer of stainless steel plate. Screens and benches complete the sculptural installations, offering the visitor uniquely diverse experiences of space and place.
Specifically for the students, each screen also offers a canvas on which to attach related natural materials in creative ways. As an introduction to collective artwork projects, the installation can teach inventive ways of recycling and an understanding of and respect for nature.
Commissioned by the Nelda C. and H. J. Lutcher Stark Foundation.
Photo : Marc Cramer