Women and the Collaborative Art of Gardens

<p><i>Women and the Collaborative Art of Gardens</i> explores the garden and its agency in the history of the built and natural environments as evidenced in landscape architecture literature art archaeology history photography and film.</p><p>Throughout the book each chapter centers the act of collaboration from garden clubs of the early twentieth century as powerful models of women’s leadership to the more intimate partnerships between family members to the delicate relationship between artist and subject. Women emerge in every chapter whether as gardeners designers owners writers illustrators photographers filmmakers or subjects but the contributors to this dynamic collection unseat common assumptions about the role of women in gardens to make manifest the significant ways in which women write themselves into the accounts of garden design practice and history. The book reveals the power of gardens to shape human existence even as humans shape gardens and their representations in a variety of media including brilliantly illuminated manuscripts intricately carved architectural spaces wall paintings black and white photographs and wood cuts. Ultimately the volume reveals that gardens are best apprehended when understood as products of collaboration.</p><p>The book will be of interest to scholars and students of gardens and culture ancient Rome art history British literature medieval France film studies women’s studies photography African American Studies and landscape architecture.</p>