A true polymath, Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) created sculptures, gardens, furniture and lighting designs, ceramics, architecture, playgrounds and set designs in the course of his critically acclaimed career.
In his works of exquisitely carved stone and gently folded metal there is a sensitivity that's inherent in all of Noguchi’s creative outputs. The harmonies between subtle and bold, and organic and geometric, that characterise his work are a constant source of inspiration to us.
Playgrounds were a lifelong interest of Noguchi, whose belief it was that fine art should be brought into our lives from a young age.
His design for the Contoured Playground, 1941, a landscape where sculptures for play are built using the ground itself, feels so joyous and hopeful and perfectly encapsulates Noguchi’s belief in the social power of sculpture (pictured below).
Embracing social, environmental and spiritual consciousness, Noguchi saw art 'as something which teaches human beings how to become more human.’
‘Everything is sculpture. Any material, any idea without hindrance born into space, I consider sculpture.’
In his works of exquisitely carved stone and gently folded metal there is a sensitivity that's inherent in all of Noguchi’s creative outputs. The harmonies between subtle and bold, and organic and geometric, that characterise his work are a constant source of inspiration to us.
Playgrounds were a lifelong interest of Noguchi, whose belief it was that fine art should be brought into our lives from a young age.
His design for the Contoured Playground, 1941, a landscape where sculptures for play are built using the ground itself, feels so joyous and hopeful and perfectly encapsulates Noguchi’s belief in the social power of sculpture (pictured below).
Embracing social, environmental and spiritual consciousness, Noguchi saw art 'as something which teaches human beings how to become more human.’
Sources:
https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2021/event/noguchi
https://www.noguchi.org/artworks/collection/
https://www.stone-ideas.com/73898/isamu-noguchi/
https://www.minniemuse.com/articles/musings/noguchi-playground
