Description
Book SynopsisDrawing from diverse disciplines including philosophy, history, cultural criticism, visceral geography, urban studies, gender studies, and racial aesthetics, the 18th Issue of LA+ explores the elusive and enigmatic theme BEAUTY in relation to landscape architecture and the constructed environment. Rather than arrive at any one singular definition of beauty, within its pages, contributors challenge readers with alternative views through deep and critical reflection. What is a “beautiful” landscape today? Is there such a thing as “natural beauty”? Why do humans across the cultural spectrum concern themselves so much with the beautification of themselves, their objects, and their surroundings? Is beautification benevolent or nefarious? Is there value — economic or otherwise — in beauty, and whose interests do ideals of beauty serve? In the end, why does beauty matter at all?
LA+ BEAUTY is guest-edited by Colin Curley, a New York-based landscape architect and architect whose work navigates the complex environmental and socio-political dimensions of disturbed, contaminated industrial landscapes, and seeks to expand the range of their aesthetic and experiential potential.
Table of Contents4 Editorial colin curley 8 The aesthetic niche: multispecies aesthetics in times of ecological crisis mariagrazia portera 16 Circe: counter-narratives of beauty in renaissance landscape design luke morgan 24 Asphalt + other ugly-beauties: a melting lexicon gretchen ernster henderson 36 Beautiful eyesores: ways of seeing wind energy dan van der horst + saskia vermeylen 44 Lake sihl: inventing a hydroelectric landscape sarem sunderland 52 Getting to just green enough winifred curran, michelle stuhlmacher +elsa anderson 60 Blackness and beauty: in conversation with brandi thompson summers libby viera-bland 66 Sex in the city: panopticon or pornotopia? vincent baptist 74 The physics of beauty adrian bejan 80 Visceral beauty jeffrey blankenship + jessica hayes-conroy 88 Drawing landscape sanda iliescu 94 In conversation with elizabeth k. meyer Colin Curley 104 Natural cosmetics nicholas holm Image credits Upcoming Issues
