Journal of Student Research 2012

Isamu Noguchi’s Utopian Landscapes

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New York, which became his working studio with living quarters (Ashton, 1992). Later to become the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum (Figure 5), the garden is an example of Noguchi’s work in which he made no compromises. A cement path curves gently through the base of the garden, which is comprised of soft gray stone. Intentionally placed trees interrupt the stone, as well as a number of Noguchi’s sculptures. One can feel a sense of place in Noguchi’s garden. Each piece relates to the other, standing solemnly apart, but intimately related.

Figure 5. Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, (1975-1988). Long Island City, New York. (Witcher, 2011). In this garden is The Well (Figure 6), one of Noguchi’s groundbreaking sculptures. A piece of deep brown rock is carved flat at the top, in its center a circle is cut, filled perpetually with water by an internal pump. The well overflows gently and the water glides first uniformly and then broken over the sides of the stone. It is an expression of perfection and harmony, reflecting the random wonders found in nature.