By Thomas Padon with essays by Robert Pogue Harrison, Ronald Jones, and Shirin Neshat
Published in 2004 by the AFA in association with Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
160 pages, 6 gatefolds, 11 ¾ × 11 ¾ in., 116 illus.
(71 in color)
Paper • ISBN 1-885444-29-X • $35.00 (AFA)

For centuries, gardens have inspired artists. In the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, photographers ranging from Eugène Atget to Edward Steichen were drawn to their beauty and rich metaphorical associations. This richly illustrated book examines the photography of a group of contemporary artists who, beginning in the mid-1980s, turned to gardens as a subject, among them, Gregory Crewdson, Lynn Geesaman, Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Sally Mann, Catherine Opie, and Marc Quinn. The extraordinary and diverse work shown demonstrates a wide range of artistic responses—from reflecting upon the garden as a site of lyrical beauty and luxuriant atmosphere to drawing upon it as a dark visual metaphor for the manipulation of nature. Depicting examples of gardens from throughout the world, their work investigates the forms, atmosphere, and symbolism of their subjects.