Marc Peter Keane, internationally known garden designer and author, will be at the Greenwich Historical Society on Thursday, Nov. 3, to talk about the history and tradition of karesansui gardens, the enigmatic arrangements of stone and sand. His lecture will explore how the gardens first came about and why they are designed the way they are. Beginning with their early roots as sacred stones called iwakura, the gardens developed into the highly stylized forms we see today. Keane will talk about his own work designing contemporary karesansui gardens, including the Spiral Garden in Kyoto Prefecture’s oldest extant residence, the Tiger Glen Garden at the Johnson Museum of Art and a recently completed courtyard garden in Manhattan called Thrust. The evening will begin with a pre-lecture reception and end with a brief Q&A session.
Marc Peter Keane is a landscape architect based in Ithaca, N.Y. He lived in Kyoto, Japan, for 18 years, designing gardens for private individuals, companies and temples, and continues his work from his studio in Ithaca. He has authored four books on the subject of karesansui.
Keane’s lecture is being held in conjunction with the Historical Society’s exhibition, “An Eye to the East: The Inspiration of Japan,” at the Storehouse Gallery. Attendees may visit the exhibition free of charge before the lecture from 6 to 6:45 p.m.
The lecture begins at 7 p.m. and takes place at the Greenwich Historical Society, Vanderbilt Education Center, 39 Strickland Road. Light refreshments will be served. The fee for members is $15 and $20 for nonmembers. For tickets, visit greenwichhistory.org
