LA Botanic assembles architects, ecologists, artists, and cultural theorists to examine what it means to care for plants in an era of mass extinction — from the politics of horticultural monoculture to the spatial logic of the botanic garden itself. 38 words.
About This Book
Plant conservation has never been more contested — or more urgent. LA Botanic brings together a remarkably diverse group of contributors to interrogate the botanic garden as institution, as archive, and as site of ecological imagination. The collection moves across plant science, landscape architecture, botanical art, and cultural theory, tracing how plants are represented, classified, protected, and lost. It confronts the pressures of global heating and biodiversity collapse alongside the quieter distortions imposed by commercial horticulture. For designers, researchers, and anyone thinking seriously about the designed landscape in relation to the non-human world, this is essential and timely reading.
Key Features
- 124 pages of multi-disciplinary essays spanning ecology, architecture, visual art, and botanical science
- Contributors include Giovanni Aloi, Irus Braverman, Patrick Blanc, Xan Sarah Chacko, Sonja Dümpelmann, Jared Farmer, Annette Fierro, Matthew Gandy, Ursula K. Heise, Andrea Ling, Janet Marinelli, Beronda L. Montgomery, Catherine Mosbach, Katja Grötzner Neves, and Bonnie-Kate Walker
- Edited by Karen M'Closkey
- Published by Oro Editions
What You'll Discover
- How botanic gardens function simultaneously as conservation infrastructure and cultural institution — and the tensions that arise from that dual role
- The ways global heating and extinction are reshaping plant conservation practice, and what designers and ecologists are doing in response
- How the horticultural industry constrains plant diversity through limited commercial offerings, and what that means for designed landscapes
- The breadth of plant representation across visual, material, textual, and architectural works — from botanical illustration to living wall design
About the Author
Karen M'Closkey is the editor of this volume. [Details available upon request]
Specifications
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 124
- Dimensions: 220 x 270 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781957183718
- Publisher: Oro Editions
- Publication Date: [Details available upon request]
Perfect For: Landscape architects, environmental designers, botanical researchers, and cultural theorists engaged with plant conservation, ecological urbanism, and the politics of the designed natural world.