bl uestocking
characterized by slanted, curved and bent steel beams,
Venet’s sculptures are scattered throughout his park,
lying on neatly trimmed grass or reflecting in the
calm waters of a river. On the property of inter-media
artist Ben Vautier, old television sets dot the sloping
hillside next to his driveway—the only glimpse, for
most, of Vautier’s quirky world. Provence Artists’
Gardens reveals much more: a house plastered with
handwritten signs and mannequin legs, and a garden
that is an assortment of flowers and cacti springing up
from a collection of buckets, sinks and toilets.
Some gardens, however, are just like the Provence
we imagine Renoir painted with such care. Sculptor
and garden designer Henri Olivier’s grounds are
barely changed from their natural state. Thick woods
encroach upon his open outdoor studio and a huge
mountain slope establishes a peaceful backdrop to
his pool. Renowned landscape architect Dominique
Lafourcade transformed the 19 acres of her estate into
a lush paradise of green and purple. Neatly trimmed
hedges in thick spheres, cones and rectangles structure
her extensive garden alongside a blooming wisteria
allée and glassy water lily pool. And, of course, a
charming surprise—a tree house perched in an old
sycamore tree.
This Provence is idyllic as only Provence can be. But
it is also edgy and energetic with a surprising sense of
humor. Indeed, the allure of Provence is its ability to
inspire and capture that elusive joie de vivre n Angela
Chang ~ Julia Droste-Hennings, Provence Artists’
Gardens, 240 pages, $65/hardcover, Verba Volant
Available through fine retail sto res and to the trade
