NotSoSimpleTheNewClassicalLandscape"MinimalistGardens,"byPeterWalker,SpacemakerPress,Washington,D.C.andCambridge,MA,1997,distributedbyWatson-GuptilPublicationsandHearstBooksInternational,pp.207,$35.ByCarterB.HorsleyPeterWalkerisoneofthegreatdesignpoetsofthe20thCenturyasthemorethan280colorillustrationsandphotographsinthislargeandhandsomepaperbacktestify.Morethan30ofWalker'sprojectsarepresentedinconsiderabledetail.BothhisownessayandanaccompanyingessayandprojectnotesbyLeahLevyilluminatemuchoftheartistic,philosophicandintellectualfoundationsofhisdesigns,buttheillustrationsreallyneedlittleexposition.Walker'sprojectsarebrilliantintegrationsofthenaturalandman-madeenvironmentsthataredistinctlymodernandabstract,attimesmysteriousandsometimesawesome."Minimalist"isaninappropriateadjectivetodescribethisworkforitisfartoorichinbeautyandpowertobelessthangrand.Butonemustrespecttheartist'sowninterpretationandhereWalkeriswonderfullyincisive,notonlyabouthisownoeuvre,butaboutmuchofmodernarchitectureand,inparticular,the"Minimalist"era/school.WhilenoneoftheprojectsareinNewYork,almostallofferexcitingcluestothethrillingpotentialcityscapesthatcanandshouldbewrought.AnyintelligentmayorshouldappointWalkerasthecity's"MasterDesigner,"withpowersoveralldevelopmentandplanning.Walker,ofcourse,isnottheonlygreatenvironmentaldesigner.OthersareMarthaSchwartzandMichaelHeizer.InheressayonWalker'swork,LevyfindstracesoftheNazcaLinesinPeruandStonehengeinEnglandinsomeofhiswork"anawarenessofandquestforconnectionwithearthlyandcelestialmysteries":"Therearemanyinstanceswhentheworkfocusesontheenigmaticqualitiesofnaturerepresentedbythesoundofwater,thestasisandweightofstone,rustlingchangesbythewind,blocksandpatternsofshiftingcolor,shimmeringandmagicalmists,andelusivelight."Shealsofindsthat"theclassicalorderofseventeenthcenturyFrenchgardens,especiallythoseofAndreLeNotre,servesasstrongprecedenttoindividualelementsofWalker'sapproach,"addingthat"Hisintuitiveaswellasintellectualaffinitywithpatterns,rhythms,andorder,andatoakindofCartesiansynthesis,isapparentthroughouthiswork."Notsurprisingly,alsoshefindstheinfluenceofZengardens:"Anunderlyingphilosophicaldistillationofthecomplextoachievethesimpleisevidenceinbothdistinctcomponentsandtheunifyingwholenessofmanyofhisgardens…Theworkofgardenmakersofthemid-twentiethcentury,especiallyThomasChurchandIsamuNoguchi,wasparticularlyinspiringtoWalkerinhisformativeyears."HerbriefbutpithyessaytriestoplaceWalkerinhisproperandself-proclaimed"minimalist"niche:"Sinceitsmostcrucialyearsinthe1960's,minimalism,arguablythefirsttrulyAmericanart,hasbecomealooselyusedcatchalltermabsorbedintotheculturetorefertostylesthatarenon-figurative,non-referential,geometric,ormerelyoffewandsimpleparts.Butthetermminimalartwascoinedtorefertoandidentifyaveryspecificpointintime,approximately1963-1968,andasmallcollectionofindividualartistsworkingprimarilyinNewYorkCity…"LevyproceedstorelatesomeofWalker'sworktothatofsuchartistsasGordonMatta-Clark,Christo,RichardSerra,WalterdeMariaandRobertSmithson,MayaLin,SiahArmanjaniandothers.Walker'sownessayismuchmorerewardingforitsprovocativeinsightsintoModernarchitectureandtheMinimalisttemperament."Asalatesecond-generationmodernisttrainedinthe1950's.Iwasdenied,alongwithagenerationofmypeersinthedesigndisciplines,anintegratedviewofarchitecturalhistorybecauseourprofessors,includingGropi...
