Galerie Deleuze-Rochetin: 'D'apres Nature'

For readers of this site, you may recognize the name of land artist and tree sculptor, Marc Nucera.

The art of Marc Nucera has been one of the most popular features to appear on Alice’s Garden Travel Buzz.

Marc Nucera .. 'Listening To Trees'

Look for updates on Marc’s work to follow.

I once ventured to a charming country hotel housed in a Renaissance manor, Mas de la Brune, to experience the quietude of early morning, in a place where one is enveloped by the fragrance of Iceberg roses. A gentle breeze causes the tall plumes of miscanthus to brush up against your face as you lose yourself in the sensory delights unfolding along the path of the White Garden, a magically lush oasis in Le Jardin de l’Alchimiste – The Garden of the Alchemist!

My all too brief stay at Mas de la Brune enabled me to wander in the Alchemist’s Garden whenever I wished, as the gardens are adjacent to the Bed & Breakfast lodgings. Nestled in the bewitchingly blue Alpilles mountains of France, the garden opened to the public in 1999, on a site adjoining Mas de la Brune.  The owners worked with renowned designers Arnaud Maurieres and Eric Ossart to create a uniquely conceived, contemporary gardenscape.

Above: Looking through the circular entry to the White Garden from the Garden in Red.

Inspired by the belief that the property’s main building had once been the home of an alchemist,  the garden took shape using symbols, colors, shapes and forms, directing visitors along a trail of discovery. The sensual atmosphere of the garden is experienced after traveling through a narrow labyrinth sculpted into a section of dense hedging. Going forward, one enters a botanical garden of magic plants, serving as a prelude to the Alchemist’s Garden.

The ample, open layout of the botanical plantings is intersected by wide aisles, where the species celebrate the esoteric repute of local flora; taking in aphrodisiac qualities, divining rods crafted of hazel branches, nettles, and a botanical assembly from olive trees to apothecary’s roses.

Decorative devices employed in the magic plants’ garden include a vine-shrouded arch, spanning the garden at midpoint to provide a pleasing balance. A long rill cut into the ground plane flows silently crosswise, while magic forests – wooded plots with curving paths – bracket the outer boundaries.

A far-reaching row of white curtains stands opposite wreathed fencing of living willow, acting to screen and separate horticultural groupings of magic plants from the mystical garden beyond.

Composed in 3 parts, the Alchemist’s Garden – Le Jardin de l’Alchimiste, proposes a transformative walk through the stages of life – from the early years to mellow adulthood, and finally, to a spiritual state of being. The alchemist’s methods are presented in the enchanting guise of tonal works, i.e. the work in black, in white, and in red. Each area is imbued with an acute materiality. The black garden features a shaded passageway upholstered in leafy shrubbery, transitioning into a space furnished with black mondo grass aligned in pots perched on metal stands. Around the corner, emerald hedges set the stage for a queue of terra cotta planters showcasing fleshy, claret-hued Aeonium arboreum. Entering the luxuriant white garden, a gently twisting path paved in glistening gravel guides you on a course through an overabundance of ‘Iceberg’ roses intermingled with a silvery-striped cultivar of  Miscanthus sinensis.

One more experience must unfold before the unusual garden journey culminates – the satisfying architecture of the Red garden. A fountainhead rises up at the heart of the space, from a water feature shaped like the Star of David. Hue and texture marry in a level expanse of iron-red stones complemented by sections of green turf, while an ordered structure composed of row upon row of red roses radiates outward from the pool’s central star.

]]> http://www.alicesgardentravelbuzz.com/2010/08/04/alchemy-in-provence-garden-of-the-alchemist/feed/ 4 http://www.alicesgardentravelbuzz.com/2010/07/03/art-ofmarc-nucera-tree-sculptor/ http://www.alicesgardentravelbuzz.com/2010/07/03/art-ofmarc-nucera-tree-sculptor/#comments Sat, 03 Jul 2010 17:27:18 +0000 Alice Joyce http://www.alicesgardentravelbuzz.com/?p=1991 Continue reading Artist, Tree Sculptor .. Marc Nucera

Marc Nucera .. ‘Listening To Trees’

I first met tree sculptor, Marc Nucera during a 2004 visit to Provence. Our small group of garden devotees – led by Louisa Jones - toured one landscape after another, from an intimate cottage to sites with vistas of Mount Ventoux and sweeping estates. These sublime settings demonstrated the forefront of garden-making, taking in the art and design of Dominique Lafourcade, Ossart and Maurières, Michel Semini, Pascal Cribier, to name a few; along with land art by Alain David Idoux, and the renowned hilltop terraces of French gardening doyenne, Nicole de Vesian, both no longer living.

Marc Nucera’s ‘tree shaping’ emerges in many Provençal gardens, along with Nucera’s wood sculpture, and site specific installations. In 2010 Marc opened his atelier in Noves for an exhibition that ran through May. You may want to search the internet for a Nucera exhibition if you plan a sojourn in France.

The photo reveals the resonant form of Nucera’s work in the landscape: it can be breathtaking. Image is from a book published in 2009, I’ve only found it to be available on Amazon.fr.

A l’ecoute des arbres (Listening to Trees) Actes Sud, May, 2009

Marc Nucera/Anne Hauben text/Aline Dautresme photographs

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Parc André Citroën (ALICE JOYCE photo)

I set off on a pilgrimage not so very long ago, inspired by the contemporary landscape design of Parc André Citröen – representing the work of Alain Provost and Gilles Clement.

The park rose up in the southwest corner of Paris in the Javel neighborhood, a site appropriated as part of the city’s urban renewal efforts, after the closure of the Citröen car factory.

Away from the well-trod tourist paths, Parc André Citröen has won praise (and criticism, alike) for the forward-looking aspects of its design: A complex geometric layout full of surprising juxtapositions and horticultural interest.

Elements of cool postmodern style appear as architectural devices, defining the character of discrete spaces. At the same time, sequestered areas are given over to lush planting schemes and shaded allées, fostering a sense of intimacy. The parkland extends over 30 acres, and futuristic bent aside, its plan encourages visitors to linger amid open areas of lawn, a bamboo grove, and a rock garden.

Large-scale water features call to mind the aesthetic fountains and pools of classical landscapes, while inducing young and old to relax and refresh. Arranged on an axis perpendicular to the Seine, the totality of the park is oriented to echo the order of historic Parisian parks farther upriver.

Overview – www.worldarchitecture.org

The overall design concept puts into play an often startling sense of contrast, advancing from obviously man-made configurations to areas meant to reveal the spirit of untouched, natural places. At the heart of the park is a sprawling grassy expanse set off by a wall of clipped hedges and promenade evocative of formal French gardens.

Parc André Citroën .. Photo © Alice Joyce

Water elements lend particular distinction to a number of compartmentalized environments. Entering one such space, you see water flowing gently over an inclined wall, while directly across the way, its counterpart achieves drama with a decidedly vigorous deluge over a stepped surface.

Parc André Citröen - ALICE JOYCE photo

Cascading plantings of fragrant herbs echo the waterfall’s architectural form.

Moving on, a series of small theme gardens emerges, revealing a richness of shrubs, specimen trees and perennials. Unusual plant material is noteworthy in creating atmospheric garden spaces, such as the Jardin Blanc & Jardin Noir.

A tunnel passage signals the transition to another color-themed space, accented with blue salvias, fragrant mints, California lilacs, a wisteria-draped arbor, and  a pergola cloaked in variegated porcelainberry vine melded with clematis. At another juncture, towering mirrored-glass buildings are partnered with a long reflecting canal. The crisp outlines of the adjacent hedges restate the angular facades.

Interior - Parc André Citröen (ALICE JOYCE photo)

Suggesting sanctuary, an array of small-scale buildings line up along a walkway. A bold rectangular opening entices me to enter one structure, where I find an interior that capitalizes on a play of light and shadow created by a slat roof: The floor wears a carpet of Scotch moss.

When in Paris .. Parc André Citröen is located in the 15th arrondisement: Metro stop Balard or Javel.

Parc Citroën (ALICE JOYCE photo)

Parc Citroen Walkway (Photo: it_outsider)