Stone Talk
by Athar Jaber | 19 November 2023
Last Friday was Isamu Noguchi’s birthday, born on 17 November 1904, and I’ve decided to celebrate and honour the iconic sculptor with an edition dedicated entirely to him.
Quote
“Everything is sculpture. Any material, any idea without hindrance born into space, I consider sculpture.”
Noguchi: In his own words
Isamu Noguchi was one of the most influential sculptor of the 20th century. Listen to this captivating short clip where you’ll hear Noguchi himself talking about his work and creative process.
The life of Isamu Noguchi
This video presents an overview of the life of Isamu Noguchi. With images and videos from his works spanning, art, design, architecture, playgrounds and sculpture, it is a brief introduction to one of the 20th centuries greatest artists.
Noguchi's Playground
This podcast and this one, discuss Noguchi’s largest and most personal concept: a giant public sculpture that took the form of a massive pyramid. Try to Imagine a cross between a Mayan temple and a mountain. Noguchi thought of it as a playground, and he called it Play Mountain. Noguchi’s ideas – about imagination, and freedom to play – have left a deep mark on playground designers, and are continuing to shape the playgrounds all around us.
The design of play
As I’m currently doing a teaching fellowshinp at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, where working with kids is a key component, I’ve been increasingly fascinated by Noguchi’s visions of playgrounds. Here you can read more about it.
Q&A
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I hope you enjoyed these points and that you learned something new.
Until next week,
Athar
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