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Book Review |
Star Special Home Magazine, September 2007 MASTER OF THE TROPICAL GARDEN Review by Johnni Wong
Author: Made Wijaya Publihsher: Editions Didier Millet and Wijaya Word s, 2007 Price: RM135 (Hard Cover, 208pgs) Review by Johnni Wong
It has been eight years since Balibased landscape designer Made Wijaya came out with influenctial Tropical Garden Design book and five years since his Architecture of Bali publication. With his latest, Modern Tropical Garden Design, the writer has sealed his reputation as one of the most dynamic and important writer-designers of out time. The book is divided into five main chapters: In the preface by the author’s friend and celebrated author-photography Tim Street Porter, it is stated that this book “is the first of its kind to explore the impact of modernism on landscaping across the span of the tropics” Quite a statement but it is apparent even half way through the book that the contents and the approach do live up to the hype. Wijaya’s depth and breadth of knowledge of garden designs – not only modern and his travels and first-hand experiences of the gardens, the architecture and the personalities that he write about, is no ordinary feat. It is amazing how the author has managed to joggle all those ideas, concepts and cross-referenced them against what’s contemporary and what has come to pass.
From the beginnings of the Modernist Movement in the 20 th Century, the reader is introduced to pioneer tropical garden designers like Brazilian Roberto Burle Maarx and Richard C. Tongg of Honolulu. The author then leads you down the path of tropical garden history and design, and acquaints you with “the gardens of the early Hawaiian, Brazilian and Miami styles, through to the present-day New Asia and Zen-Modern styles.” In the process, Wijaya tells you exactly what he thinks of the “architectonic gardens in Southeast Asian cities” inspired by “Zen Warriors extraordinaire”. No doubt a significant contrast to Wijaya’s own Balinese garden “commandoes” of the1990s.
Besides the “modern masters” and “visionary” designers just mentioned, the author also profiles extraordinary talents that he is familiar with, namely: Bruce Goold ( Sydney), Jamie Durie (Ausralia), Chang Huai-Yan ( Singapore), Martin Palleros ( Perth) and Nancy Goslee Power ( Santa Monica). But the author may be a bit indulgent and premature in citing Chang as one of the “visionaries”. Also, another name listed in the book tends to repeat himself with the same formulaic wall or garden design.
Although it is a tad annoying at first to keep reading the same names being mentioned over and over again in the book., it does become apparent after a while that the distinactive style of each designer is being drummed into our head. And where words fail to conjure up the appropriate images – which is rare – the photographs of the astonishing landscape once again remind us why those designers are chosen for the book, some of the 200-odd pictures could have been better. Another aspect of the book is that the author attempts to set the record straight for some of the design concepts that now appear to be identified with certain properties or personalities. He points out that, “The infinity edge pool, where the water tumbles over the pool edge, first used by landscape designers in Acapulco in the 1950s, but made world famous by architect Peter Muller in his pool design for the Amandari hote Bali in 1989, has become a tropical garden staple,”
And he adds that, “The idea of the swimming pool connecting seamlessly to water garden – done at the Villa Bebek in Bali in 1986 and at the Sala Samui Resort & Spa in Koh Samui in 2004 – has been much copied throughout the tropical world.” And he just can’t resist but blithely points out that in 1983, Bill Bensly worked with P.T. Wijaya on a residential project in Bali. And that it was Wijaya who “pointed Bensley down the garden path of ruinscapes and subtle landscape follies.” But the author also takes the opportunity to praise Bensley for his landscapes which are “poetic and natural, and teeming with cultural reference.” Like any artistic profession, the field of landscape design is full of divos whose respective egos often dwarf the landscape. But credit must be given to Made Wijaya for acknowledgeing the work of even his rivals – whether he cares to admit it or not. But with a book like this and deadlines to contend with, not every big name in the tropical landscaping business hads been included. There’s always Volume Two. And naturally, with a wit like Made Wijaya writing such a book, barbed comments are everywhere.
On Designing Modern Gardens, the author stresses that: “That lesson I hope to impart in this chapter is: one can achieve a modern look without the garden looking either homogenized, soul-less, bird-less or god-less.” That line best sums up the author’s garden design philosophy. And we, in Southeast Asia, should pay heed.
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