ROBERT SMITHSON:THE COLLECTED WRITINGS

EDITED BY JACK FLAM

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

8~lcy l.os A!l~'c$ lond:>n

FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED AND

THE DIALECTICAL LANDSCAPE ( 1973)

to

seen ." He Sn'" 'eo aod said."

lrnngine Y(lUl'ldf 111 Central Pal:" one million )'C31'$ JSo. You would be stan.hng

n J V;lSt H-~ ,hc.:ct,.14.000 mile ~(ul wall.as much as 2.000 f(,~t duck. Alone

on the ""-.Ut glucier. you would 1'<)\ sense II, ~Io\\' CI uslnng. scraping. nppmg

movement as it advanced '<Huh, Ic<lvinggll".,t ll\,;hM:~of rock debri .. in its wake,ndci the trozcu depths. when: the carousel IIm\ ...t:md~.)'<)tI would 1I11!IH

lin ..the ctlccr on the bedrock JS the glacier dr.lggc:d ll,dr ~Iong.

Bad: III the 185():'. Frederic]; Law Ohnsecd .m" Calvc« v'1\lX considered

th;at !!1<1~·i.l1Jftcrlll;}th .tl<.mg irs g<.'Olo~iral pwfile( I'hc building of ~C'\'l York

City h~d interrupted th~ poudcrou- IX·,,,It~of those Pll'i~«)~'eilc JC(' sheets,

Ohusted and V:IUX srudred the ,itc topOgT.lphy for their pnljl()'St"ti pnrk called

'·GfI."~·JlS'v:l1 J." In r.IWIISI~~lrd 1'11',4'11(1.11;"" s.~~ulr~\~,5 we see .1"before" ph IItCl-

~'1';!ph0[ the sitl' they would rem.rkc in terms of e.u th M·ulpmrc. lr ~emllld> me

of [he $lril"'lIIil1m~ regions I >;lW 1:I~t year in southcaoern Ohio, This f.ulc:d

photograph reveals thar Mauhatt.ru l-l.md onrc h..d A desert on il-~ 111;\"-

made \v.I~tdal1d. Irecle« and harren. It evokes Ihe observations of "tho: valley

of a~I\('~" in I~Scott Fillgcr,lkl's 'lh« emit Co11f.1')' (192.s.). "when: ashes ~ro\V

like whe.it uno ridgL~ "lid hills and !4Wtl'S'I111;!!~rdens."

Olmsted. "the s>·lv.lIIarnsr," yealllcd fin the color .'~II·t·JI .H ··".ltlITt'·S umve:

'\al robe" (sec J:auw~Thomson. 'J II, Sr,WII$. 1718) and the "Sharawndgi" p"I'k<

of I~ngbnd.' He wanted the :lS>·III1I1Clric.t1 landscape- (If Uved.dc PI'I(e in the

Huddle of urban flux. [nco Brooklyn he would bl iug "the luxuriance u(tr(lpi-

cal scellery ... g.ly with /lower.-; and uuricutc \vi.h vines and creepers, ferns.

rushes. and bro.id leaved pbn~." This is like h:1ving .m orchid ~lIllen ill ,. <ted

mill. or ;1 f.trtnry where pahu trees would he IiI b>' ibe fin" ofhla~l l'ilrtu\:es. III

companson to Thoreaus mental l'()III1J1Sts ("'X(;I)c\(:n Pond became .1 vmall

ocean"}. O)m'tt'<i\ pll)"I(-'1 conrrnxu brouglu .1 Jdfe!I'It)llian rural reality inru

Ih.: mctropohs, OIII1~lcdmade ponds, he didn't just conceptualize about thcru.

The origms ofOllll~tl'd's view of landscape are to he! l(lIlIlO in rSrh-cenrury

England, parucularlv 111 the theories of Li\'l"<lalc Price :tud \Villialll Gilpm.

Price extended Ednum.l Burke's /rltJlII'1' /III" IIII' ()I/:~III <1f Our Icf(.ll 4 t/tr S"b(j/ll(

and 11,(, &1I111!'/1I1 (t757) to.1 point lIUt rned to ti,<'c landscaping fWIII the "pic-

ture" ~rdl'n~ 01 ltnlv 111(0 ~ IlIU" .. ohysJ(JJ ~c!II't: ul the rcmporal bndl.(';tpe.,10\

tree, for ex.unplc, struck by lighlnill~ W:1SsQIllc:thing other than merely bcaun-

lui (If subhrue+-r \\',b "picrurev.juc," This word III il"<(lWU wav has been Mrufk

hy li!tl1tnill~ over th". centuries. 'X/()l\I~, like trees. {'Jt1 be <mldl.'1l1y deformed or

wn'('h·d. bur such ddorm.ltion or wreck.igc c.muot be {1J'11l1S~t:Ob}' tinud .10

demie». PI icc S('C111' to haw accepted .I ~idc' uf nature tll.lt the "formahsrs" of

hl\ lilm', would rather have excluded.

Sonrc of our prcsent-d.iy ('\ ologisrs. who :.1111 xce nature thrcml!h e\'t:~ condi-

I!OIlNI by ~oue-ssdcd :de.lhml. ,l:uuld consider the lu110\\,1Il~ quote 1I'<lIIl Pncc

l'he ~ic!t:()f :1smooth green hill, lorn by fln(lct~, IIlay at first ,"cry

properly he l.,lIcd detorrncd, ;lIlJ on rhe <.lIne pi inciplc, though

not with the ~JIIlC' IInprC~(1()II, as .l !}lsh on .1 h\'ill~ Jnil113J. \VhO;:I141

rawness of '111.h a p~h III the gruuud is sofieued ..... d in pJrt (on-

cealed and orn.uucntcd by the dlctb of ume. ,Iml the pl()~rcss of

,·e~ct.mon,dc:lilrrnlly. by rlns u<\I;11process. IS converted into pic-

turesqueness: .lIId Ihi~i~the case wuh quurrrcs. ~IVc:l pi!:>,ctc.,wlnc h at first .lI'C dd()llIIitics. ,1I1dwlurh III their 111m! pi~ turesquc

,tatc, .WI."ofien considered .lS such bY:1 Ic\'\:Uing nnprowr.

Iluv« T:1Ml}'.< II" 1111'Pi(lII/l'Yqllt. I S 10

And ficull Wilham (;111'111', ()i,.'f'mlliI1/l~~"""IL~' I,) Jl'i(lllf<~'qi/" Rl'rlllt)' (I iSC):" A

piece C1fPalladian arrhnecturc may be degallt in the last degree, hUl 11we Ul-

rroduce II ill a picture It immediately b::nllll<,\ :t fill mal Ol~lC:CI.md t"1.'.lSCS ro

;>IcJSt':'

Price .l11d Gllplll were. li)r Olmsted. "professioual rouchstones," \\'II(I~e

views he esreerucd ..,() much I110Te dUll any published ...ince, as srimulanug Ihe

cxcrc isc ofJudgl1h'lIt in maucrs of Illy :lft, th.lt Iput (hem into the hands of Ill)

pupil> .tS soon <l\ I"~y come into our ollic·e. ~ying. 'Y()U .lI'(' tel read these seri

ouxly, .l> a student <1f141Wwould n'.ld 8l:1('btUI1C:"

Inherent in the theor ics of Price <l1l:1 Gilpin, and m Olm~tecl'~ response ro

them. arc the beguunug- (If :t dialccnc of the landscape . .Burke·~ notion of

"bcaunful" .uul "sublime" flIlH·t:lH\~ .)S ,\ 11/("";5 of vmoothncss. gc:m1c ('Ul \ICS.

and dchcacy of nature, and .I~an ,1/I1;t/t('j'S of terror, ~Hltt\ldc. and VJ~U1t"<~of n:a-

lure, both (If whit h arc rooted 1I1 the 1'<.':11world. f:1lhct than in J ~kgcli~1I

Ideal." Pnce ,\lid Gilprn provide ~ iy/lllJl~i5 with their formulation of the "pic-

turvsquc." wluch i< UII close cxanunnrion related ro chance .md change 111 the

material ordet of nature The conrradicnons uf the "P1CtllR'(<!UC" depart from

a stntic f(lnn:t1i,tlC VIew of nature. The picturesque. (.It frum being nn mner

mOVC!I1I~nt of the nund.is based on real land; it pl'C('('(k~ the mind in its mater-

.:.1 external existence. \Vc cannot take :I one ,sid~'d \'II!W of the landscape

withm tills dialectic. A r....rk C:1Il no IUllgc'r be ~een :Ilo .. ~ rlnng-m-uself," but

father as a process of on~()il1f. rclati(m~hip~ a:xi~tlllg III :1 physrcal region-s-the

park becomes a "thing-for-us," A~ .\ result we are not hurled IIlCO rhc spiritual-

ISUl of Thoreauian tl~U)Melldent:lh'IIl, or irs present day offipnt1S oi"model n-

iSI fonnalism" nx)t(:c! in Knnr, Hegel .. uid h:htc. Price, (;ilpin, ;,ntl Ollll1tecl

are f()I'CrUllllcr:< of :1 dialecncal ruatcriahsm applied tel the phy~i~:11i:md-

scapc.Dmlecucs of thi~ type: are a \\';lY of seeUlg (hin~ in a manIfold ()i rclarion».

HOI as isulah.'(1 objects, Nature for the dialccncian is i/tdiUl'IeltJ to all)' l'imml

ideal.

Tln« does not mean one is helpless hC{()I'C nature, hut r.tlllCT (hat n.\t\lrc·s

conditions are unexpected. like PI i('e'~ hill torn h)' rhe flood. In another sense

Olmsted's p:lrks cxi~t beti.m: l!tl-y ,m: finished, which means in facr (hey arc

never finished: lh~y remain nlrricr1 of the unexpected and of contradiction on

all levels of human activity.be It <()C'i~I,polmcal. or natural. An CX~1I11)leof ihis

can be round III P.,H11Shl!p:ln!'!> excellent book, ,Hlfll ill th» LAlIIMlpr:

I Ti~[Olmsted's] report proceeded (0 note th:ll Europe could nor

be our model. We must have something better because it W:I~ fin

:"1"phases of SGClecy."Thc opulent. he continued. should be 111-

duced to surround the park with villas, whidl were to he I!nj()ye:d

:IS wdl as the erees by the humble folk, :-in(c: Ihl'Y "ddight 111

viewing maguificcnr and imp()~itll' 'tnlC·turc~." A kind of Amen-

can doublcralk 1'C('UllCiling \'ilb~ with democracy and prrvilcgc

with society in t<elle~:11h.tl hq~llll.

The maps. photographs, :md dU(llIlIen(, in c.ualogue form and rcccndy on

cxhibiuon at the Whitllcy I'vlul.{'1I1U of American Art arc :IS much a p:llt of

Olmsted'~ .11 t as the; art ito.a:lf The cat.rloguc's illustrative ponf()iiu hy Willi:lm

Alex, ~1I<l :In lllf(\r1I1:tti\l't' text by Ehzabcrh Barlow make IIIH' ,1\\,.. rc of th e on-

gOillg development of Central Park 3S :I dulccrical land« ,11'<:,I Hcrv the dc)('u-

anCillary power of the photograph discloses a SU(le>."iun or changing land

maMes witilin the;: park's hunts. The notion of the p;al k ..~ :1 s(;atle \!ntlly i~(lues-

eioned by the: cameras eye. The pOltf(J!w hrll\~ to mind rhlg:l Verrovs docu-

mentary montages. and ~lIf.ttl":ll' tl,al certain still photographs are related 10 the

diak-ctks of film. For example, .' photngr.lph on page 78, Tuuue {'fIl~'(i 'If II

Illr()J~f." Vi:>lll R1t(k.f.u 1i,IIIJr.'(Ti( R,~ad ."\'0 J at 79J1IStreet could be J. still (Will <l

hYPOlhcl!l.t1 film by Vcrt()V nn {he building process of Ccnrral Park. Iu the

photograpl. there i~no evidence of the trees that would in the fllture screen

the sunken r()~c1w:ay from rhe park proper. The photugl:11'1a h:l~ tilc r:I\\'IIC:« of

an ilHI.lllt nllt of the conriuuous growth ;lno couetruc tina of tilt: park. Jnd 111-

dicnres a break III counnuiry that serves to rt:infill~'c a SCIl~Cof trnnsformanon.

rather than .mv j,()l.aled leJtl1laliun. WI.' 'WIlle in lhis ph()IO!!r:lph Ih<lt nal"r(,!'~

development i~~I()undcd in the dialccrical, :and not IIII.' mctaphy~i, ..1.An example of;t IltL"1;Jph}'~i{;:" rendering of a "runnel" mar he seen in John

M:a.,til\·~ mc:tl.Otillc, AI 'lit Brill!' (1'0,,1<'( (ISJ.S). Born illln Engbnd's indusmal

revolunou, M.min rr.lI1~btcd engmeermg efforrs into visions of cosmic doom.

l le subsdrured .1 tunnel for Milton's bndgc in 1',!T,U{;SI' Lo«. and 111 so doing rc-

treated mro the metaphysical.' LIl tins mstancc the more dialccncal aspect of

the picturesque is shrouded III a scntuucnral ~OoUl that h.1S its origill~ III rhc

Punran religion, Modern day ecologists wuh :I metaphysical turn of Inintl srill

sec the OPCI.alioIlX of inciulo1ry a' Sat;m'~ wurk. The ill1:\!!C' of the Inst par:,di<c

g;1I1;ien 1c:1V'C" ()III,; without 41solid t!i:a1e(:tl~. :md c.,uU'S one to ,"fl~r.m ecolog-

leal dcxp..ir. Nature, like .l person, i~not one-sided. Another r.'('tor en nore I~

that OII1\~t..'(r< eunuel ~< in the: ~:II world, wherenx i\ll:trtm', i~.1 prctorial "'/111"

itJr(III;ll/I Je;:n\'cd nlll)' !TOIII the mind.

Olmsted's VtC\\' of the landscape W.lS 10M sight of around till' first part of tins

century. whar wirh rhc rise of the "anndcmocraric inrclligcnrsia" rhat included

W)'J1dh,lIu Lewis. Ezl.l Pound. T. S. Ehot. and T. E. Hulme.' Althllu~h Puund

and Llior did maintain traces of the picturesque in their pm:tl v, lhl') ihcructi-

('.)II)' scorned it. "Over the rumbled ~1~IVI", .1I)(HIt the chapel." wrote Eliut in

Thr j'iitm' [~I/JII, ..Then- i~the C:lllpt)' (·h:lpd. (lilly th~' wind\ iiom,-." 6Ul EllOt'~

O<!mlt;I to"<! G,t<!l'lw.\rO P'n ttS PhQ:OV>ph« >~ 0' JUr>.IxICl'<! ~·imx(>on.18sa

picuncsquc "';IS a nO'l:tl~i:t tor church aurhorirv, It ceased (0 be the dcmocra-

li1_' t1i:lle('I:~ beewceu the '>yl\';m ..lit! the illdu~trial lh.lt (II it I.' ,Uld Olmsted

worked toward. iU$t('ad (II()' ,tl~'~~l'(1 a lIl'U('\;I'<>lt.11lurl1l.1lisllI ••unl T. E. Hulme,

who exerted grc.tt 1IIIhH'Il(;l' lIn ,dl three. W<l' dl.twn to the ".Ih~u.t~'t" phllm.o

phr of \Vilhchll 'iXforl'inger. Aller'iXf()l<ld \V.11' 11. when 1~>('I>~i('lII()[i\'~'~ were

revealed, V:lri(lu~liberal cr iric moved ill to pick up dl{' pll.'(·~'--:IIII()lIg thcrn

Clement Greenberg 11<, tned to graft .1 1~1I\::'f()rmah"lll to .1 nlny M:trxm

outlook. I lere IS Greenberg upstaging borh LC\\'I~ ami Lhot:

Eliot 11." r.rlled \Xiymlham 1.1.'\\ i~"the ~lcatcSI prose 'lylhr 01 Inygcneuuion perhaps the only OIIC (0 have invented l IIC\\' v.ylc."

I lintl tim c:\at<~cl.IlCll. hu; I'Vt:II it it were nor.Lewis would <,till

have t'.ml too d('arlv for IIII.' <li,tim tion.. .Clenl<'llt (;I('l'lIbl'I'g,

"\Vyndh:lln r ~\\'i, A~inM Ah'<lr:I('l Art,"

..(" .m.{ ell/flm', AU'WII, I~(i I

Tin, i~ .I ~nurt \\~I}t W ~lIh'\lIII{' .1II1hurit),. hut till' fC~1C)f till ..' nreiclc ,Iwd~ 110

ligltt (HI "absrrscnon," My tt-din!! l~ til;lt rhey ,III 11l1(\Cd the: bo,u

'Iurnmg to France, J sense of the picturesque results 10 Paul (A-z:tnn(."s l1iM-11//($ QU.III)' (J ~IJS). but his direct cncou ntcrs wuh rhc landscape were soon to

be replaced by .l scudio-bascd formalrsm and cubisnc rcducnonism wlurh

would lead (0 Ollf present day 1I1SIPId nouons Of"tl.Ulll'SS" and "lvrical absrmc-

non."Thc ~ner.ll dirccrion ot this rcndcncy begins in I,q when r.1:.llulll1e,

IC<ltlrill!( ()II "Mm!ctl\ Art :111\1Philmophy:' ~Ih oIhollt te<ltll iug IIcn to

nm~ ~- Rq)re).'l:tH.HHllhof··l.tl'lp~~" h .....·;II11... the lugll'AI ourcome

Ally (h<('u~~i(lIIconcerrnng 1I:lture:md nrr l\ bound til be ,hm through with

1II(lr.~lllllplk.ltlOI1\. Once .1 srudenr wid me th:at "nature 1~ :mytillng th~t .( not

manmade," 1'01' rhat srudenr man was outside (he natural order of dungs. LIl

Wilhelm \Vol'I'ingers .~Ltstr.1(/itttJ m,d Elllp,ft/,y (1908), WI:' arc told that Byzan-

unc and c~nHi:lnart were created Out or a P...ychological need 10 e$Capc na-

lure. :uw that ...im,c the Rctlais..,;'llllC OUI Ulldelllt;HlJitl~ 01 \tll h :lIt has been

d\Juded b~' :111 IIlltlU1: ('unlldellt1: ill nature. \Vurriu~t:' luc.oICe' It., "concept" uf

ah\tl~tni()11 outside the M:lbU()\I~ anrhwp()lIlOrphi( p:lIltlll'islll l)1 RCIl;ai~>al\('c

Inlln;uli~m "The prim:!1 ;lrustic impulse," :-")' \Vorrlllg(f, "hns Ilmhlllg to dll

WIth the rendermgs of nature." Yet, throughout Ins book he refers to "crys-

ralhne forms of inanimate matter," Geometry smkes me as a "rendenug" of

manimarc matter. Wh.u arc the lattices and grids of PUI'(' absrracnon. If nor

renderings and representations of a reduced order of nature? Abstraction IS a

representation 01 nature devoid of "realism" based on mental 01 conceptual re-

ducuon. There i'i no (',('aping nature limmgh alml.t(f rcprescnturiou: ah>tl~l(

(i()II hrillt:" Ulll" dm~r W phr,i(".1t 't""Clme~within natlll" ib"';\f. Bllt thi~ <~I~"

nol IIll'.'1I :1 renewed ('clIlfi(!"nro: in narurc, it ~illlply IIIc,ms th:1I .th"tI'~C1i(ll' i~

Ill) ~,IIISl' for I:'ith. AI)((T:IC'l1<l1l 011 only lit' \~tlid ifit :In:cpts 1I:ltlll\!\ dialeceic.

In Till" New l(1I'~'/'ill/a (Sunduv, M.IT\'h u. 1()7~) Gr.ICO: GII1I!~'k \ column h.l~

a headline. "Arnsr-m-Rcsidcnce for Mother L.lrth." ami .1 photogr.lph or ,\bn

Cussow captioned "/\ son of spmrual C3TCt:lKa:' RI.',1(hng the arnrle. one di~-

covers \\ hal nuplu be: called an Llol~ICJI Oedipus Complex. Penetr.umn (If

"MUfhel F.:llf"" becomes ;1 projection of (he mccsr taboo OIltO nature. In

Theodore Th;l\~ Thil;rt(·III.1I1I1·$ :>lK)k, Till Srril(t"/,)I'I,lm i.s1I~~II~I'. we lInd :l

quote IrUln :1(';1t.1tOlltl; M.'hii'()phrclli~: "They should Slup di~lIl~ (IW\\, shout-

m~ I'l!lul.mtly 1II r.l~c) dowu lH'llCk lh~' (':II iiI to c1r;,\\ II\C:(."~ mIL uf ii.Th:tl'~

dl~mg (I(\\\'/I 1I1to f\'lmhcr E:lrth :IIltII.lking \hill~ th.,l ~11C)1I1c!/I'tbe taken."

$1l110Ile d;: tk.luvmr h:l~ wruren III TIll :\,y,,"d .~..x, "Acv.'hylm sap <If

Oedipus rhar he 'dared to seed the sacred furrow where he \V.I~ tilnnl'd:" Alnn

(;us..~o\\' in Tlu: New )'t,rk Times projects onto "earth works ,m:m" all Octlip"$

Complc« hUI'1I out ul :t \\ i,hy-\\'.\Sh~ rransccudcntalrsm. Indulging in spirrual

1~lIla~)'. he sa", of reprcscmational landscape painters in his book A Scn« ...rPit/It': AlII~" ,'m{ IIII' Alllt'tI(,W L/md. published b) Frtcn~ of the Larrh: "\Vlut

lhc\t' .Ini~l'dC! i..make these .}I:,('~'~vuiblc. conunumrarc tht'il ,pIt It nul like

rhe earth work' ar"'t~ whn ('ut :md ~()lIg~' tilt,; bud Ilk,' AmI}' t·Uttlllet't\.

What's needed <IreIym' pOC(!' to celebmte it ".

Gussow's projection of the" Army en1!lII~r," <HI \\'It~t h~' IIn:l~inc\ ro he

"earth works arusrs" (CI.'I11~Iinked f<l lnv own vexual fc!ar,. A" P-,ul Shcp:tf(1 in

his ,\'/d/llll ,hi' iJrnd',{lIpt pomts our. "Those (Jrlllyl engmeers veem to he :1( t~IC

opp(),itt: extreme !i'om esthetes who atrcmpr to cehcrcahze their sexuahry. Ye«,the elIltlllccn' :authili il\ .1Ild dominance OWl' !:'md carrrcs the force of s.<.·~'1IJI

.lgglC'.~i()II-.md pCtll".)~ rhe ~uilt :b \\'~11."

An C'lhl'r(·ali:r.cct rqHl·<ellf,ltiulI.,1 altht such ;b Gussow (he docs mediocre

Imprc« ..i()lIi~lH p<llllling-<) !:Iii, ttl nx ol,tllizl' the pCl~!-ibilif> of .1 direct orgamc

uuunpulatinu ()f ~hc 1..,,,<1devoid of vioicnc« :and "mac ho" a~n.·~>i()Jl. s'pil itual-

Ism widenv the <plat berween m:m .uul n.uurc, Tho: f:lrlllcr'~,lIIillt·r·~. l)l "I'li,t'~

treauncnt (It till' land der~ll\l~ on how ;lW.lIIC he IS ofililmdf;l~ llJtun·;.altcl all.

Yo'Xt'/l't ~II :1'('rl~~ of r.lp::\. The: farmer or ~'II1tlnccr who ('ut" into tilt' bne! can

('ithl'l culnvue it ()I dcvust.uc it. Rcpresenriug nature ()IWl-' removed in Iyl ic

poerrv and IJlld~l"IW pamnng " nUL {he S.1I1W :I~ direcr culrivarion of the lnurl.

If ,'np nnncrs 'v.:n· \C" alienated If(ml the nature ii' lhl'l1l~ln~ .md tree uf

sexuul .'~~Iession. ('lIlu\',llioll would take place. Whl'lI one look« al the Inch.m

cliff d\Vdlin~ in Me"-'t Verde, one Cllllm! SCp.lI'.H\· .111rrom n.I"IIC. And OIW

call't tO~t·t the Indian mouuds 1Il Ohio .:

One \\'(mdc~ what ,h~ likes of Gu~<()W would lIukL' or AI11C'rir:l" first

, carthwcrk .Irtl~!'· -Frccleru k l.a\\ Olmwed. Perhaps. Ii Ct~o\v had lived III

till' nud- J 9th ('~'llImy,he would hnvc S\l~~<l("ll that Ohll<l~'d \\ rit<.' "ryri,· po-

etry" mstead t)f 1IIU\'lIlg ten million horse-cart loads of <!.Irch 10 make Cenrml

PAlk. Arusrs like (;U\)o\\' JIl' t"~,type who would lather Il'IrI'd't() sccruc hCAut)'

sp..,lt\ Ih"'l1 try to make .1 concrete c!i.aIt:Cli< between IlJlUlX' .1CHt people. ~urh .m

:tIOSt surrounds lumselt' wuh sclf-nglncousncss and pretends ro be ~iI\'tn~ fh~landscape, This !S not ~lIlg .111ccologi« ot the re.rl, hut ruther, J iPlflllUi snob.

Tim kind 01 splrltu.liit)· mentioned ill the preceding p,lI',l!!r,'ph~ \, whar

Rollo M.ty III Power (11111 [Il/IOIc'II(t' (JIl, ..p'<l.'udomnon·Ilt'l' ... wlnch can only

lead £0 pseudospuuuahrv .md Ihcudo.ut 1\1;'1)' ~re.lks of an " .. , insulario» hom

lh(' evil in the world."!' The ,llltht:Il11( ,Utl<t C':lIt1lot turn hI' hack on the t'()I1-

t1·.. dintOllS {h.1I IIIh:thll our t.lncl\,.apc5. Ulm<t<'d himself \\ ...t~ Ijlll ('II conrr.ulic

t:t)JI~: lor mst.mre, he wrote hi, wite his rcncnon In the Clhl(lrni.a desert. "the

whole aspect of tIn' counrry I~ d,'I'·$lablc."

III tlw Ili6,: photograph It Il> inreresung to sec.' the arrested consu uctiou of a

water' 'y~l-:III f<)r dr,mun!! and filling .1 Central Park lake five.' ~UIl"CII pipes,

gmdc: lines. half-formed walls. dirt roads. and gcncial rubble. All of the I'U\ltth,

ness or" the process I iscs OUI of the p;1I~\ catlicl coudiiio». :\, F.li:t.;1hclh Barlow

indicates, "1 he poliucal qU:l~mlle ",a, matl hcd h)' llll' .lpp~:lr:lIln· clf tilt' park

itself, which \\J.S I ublush-strewn. deep in mud, lilk-d wuh T\'~'<:lltly \~lclt~1

squaucrs' hutv, .!IId oveu un with ~uah It:li he-hind hy t1w 'qll.tlter' Ulltal they

were l'VClllU.III~ illll'ClIlIldl"I, till: r.uup.me gcut- wen: •• gre.rt mnsance. canng

thr fi)li .•µc elf the park', few trees," All of this IS P;ll'[ of the park's dulccnc.

l.()nkmg Illl rhe 11.lWn: of the park. or ItS history and OUI pcrccprion- or it,

WI." .IT\' first pre ..clued with an endless maze 01 relations "lid inrcrxonucctior».

111 which nothing remains wh.n Ot where il h, as ..-thin~-ir"c1f. hut the "'}IUI('

park changes like day and mghr. In and out. dark .sud lighr-.& l.ard\llIy de-signed dump of hushes can also be .llll1l~Cr'" hideout.The n':lMlU th~' P<)(I!I1-

rial dialectic inherent in rhe pic·turcl.<.\uc broke down wav because natural

pJ(l('c~~c> wer« viewed III i~()I:l\i"n .I~'0 m;IlI~'(b"~JfiC'.'Inol1s, detached from

ph)'\i('al imercounccrio», ,lit.) lill.lll~ replaced by mental represcnrauons of .i

finished :th<Cllllt<: Idl:,l\. Bihous books like Ihc Gr(wju.~ of Ameu« present one

wirh .1 nonon Of"{'OIlSCIOUSllCSS" without substance. Central P;ll).. 1.> .l ~Imliid

work of neccssirv and chance .. \ range of cOlllra~1ill~ viewpoints th.lt are for-

ever Iluctuanng, ycr solidly based In the canh.

Uy expanding OUI dialectic outvnle 01Central Park tel Ymenllt~· Nanonal

Park. we gain lIl5!ghl into the development u()mth p.lrk ..itn hdilTI." tht,:y were

turned into "parks."The vitc Uf<:l.'lItl:tI Park \\'~< the result of"nrh:lIl bhghf"-It{'c~\WI (. ~lit dnwn hy the l'.,rl} \('nlt'f' without .my thought of the future.

SUl.'h ~ ~itc could be rc;('\.liml;'(1 hy direct e.urh-movuig wuhour (~Jr of upset-

tlllg the ccologv. My own experience I~ thJt the best SHC'S for "earth an" are

<itc" til:l( have been dixrnpted by mdusrry, reckless urbanization. 01 uarure v

nWII dc:v.ISt:ltlOI1. lor IIlSt,lIlCC, '/1,(' Spir,I/./('(I)' rs built in a dead sea, ;1I111

'11'f Hr.».:(11 Cirdr and SJ~ml tfll/10 a working sand qual'l v, Such land is culri-

vared or recycled as art. On the other hand. when Ohu-tcd vi-ned Yosemiec it

existed :l\ J. "wilderne«." There's no pomr III rery, lmg wilderness the way

C':l1tl.ll P:II k ,"";11 recycled. Om' m'~d not unprove Yosemu« •.111 line needs IS to

provide .,nc" routes and Jl'C'011l11ICHbtimh, Uur this dec:n-;a\(', rh(' ill i!:in:ll dcf-

mrnon of ",ildl'IIIC,' .U J place tll.lt O.i<l!> without human II1vf)lv~·III(·IIt. Today,

YOSC:lIl1to;' is mun: like .\11 urbanized wildcme-s with J[S deC"ln,',,1 ourleu lor

camper- .. mel it:. ~ loihes lines hung beewccn lhl' pines. There ISnm much mum

lor conreruplatiou in soluudc, The new lI.ltmn:t1 parks like rhe ~\'<:rgb(lc~ .md

the Dmosaur N.llmll:tl Monument are more ·'.1h~II.ll1" and lack the "pic"

uucsqucncss" of Y()-.(;'lIIill.' .Uld Yellowstone.

III 1!!:1Il)' w':IY' {he morv humble 01' even dl!'gr,ltkd ~i(c~ left in rhe wake ClflIIinlllft opcranons offi:r more uf:1 challenge to .irt, ;utd .. ~re.Hcr posnbihry fi)r

I~in~ ill sohrude. lmpouug <'Iilt\ and urumproved IIIt'\.lS (mild just :1S well be

lef alom t, Bur .I~ the nanon's '\'no,::g)' (I isie" mounts. <lid, pl.ln'~\\,111cvcntu-

JUy be milled. S()IIIC 5.5 nulhon- of "0"\'$. an .rrea the size of N~'\\' l lmnp ..lure,

JS currently hcilllt boughr up In North n..kot.r, \Vyollung. md Monlana h>'

nurung r()lIIp:lIl1l'" "I clunk," SJ.Y!' Il1t('fI()J' SC:lIclary Rogers MmtOIl (.\'nt·."

wak. Ocrober 9. (971). "we can set the <ull<brd lUI .1 new muune erhi« -o lIuc

rhe deep S<,',II11\ ('.111 hI." nuncd and closely 1{)\I()\wd bv ,UI cnvironmem pre)·

i<tam rhar IS compsublc (·,thclIc:llly and With proper l.nul 1I~." One can <.ml~

wonder what his nnlum of "t"(ltc~ics" IS. l'hl.' pr~n'(kllh ~i:t hy Olmsted

..hould he sunhcd by both lIIilll'I'" IIId ecoloprsts

Returmng t<l Yellowstone. whn h celebrated irs centennial h~t YC;II. WI: see a

ccmbming of E\lr()p~'< "imoxic.uion with nuns" with Alii er i(,;1 \ lIewly db-

covered "natural ruins" ~t tl1(' orrgin of the park's development. David E. Fol

som. a wealthy rancher. who viewx-dYcIlU"'~toIIC 111 tg69. wrote HI 111~<iI:IrY"J,

huge rock lh,l[ bon' resemblance to .111 old l.l,tlC: rampart aud bulwark wen;

slowlr >'icldin~ (0 (he ravages of mue, hUI till: uid turret srood out 111bold re-lief :lg;lill$l tilt: "b. y." As Paul Shepard h~, pointed out. John Ruskin never VlS-

ired Amerir« hl:l'3USI' it lacked castles. ~t"Wl'lhd('~~ "Curle Rock" has become

J, llama: for m:llly 1I:&I\II.tIformauons rhroughoue rhe \Vc,(.

Ncw York 11) till' '~7~ yielded to different kinds of r,w,,!_!c).Olmsted W.lS

dismissed ii'om his job in 'S7.1 In a document privately printed in t~S, <'alll'd'/1U' Spoils (~fllll~ Hllk: ll';III .1F,'II' I.ml'l·.\.fooJII Dt'cp-Iadm N(lr"-~III~",!r"A ~H",f[rl.iuJ>f,Tfli(d' .Hdll," WI:' ~ct ,I ~liIllPH' of Ohu-tcd's contlicrs wrrh City pClhtlr,.'

Unde: Boss Tweed the P.lrl: Dcparnncut dctcrroratcd 1I1to ~ shal\1h!~~~.llung

with >C'I'iumunemployment. violent I.,h<lrpl(ltl.:~b•.Iud Itn:1nCl.)1 panic. ~4"~lItg

Ollll~l~d to WIire III 1877 that New Yorl.. \'I~y wa~ "csseutinllv under martial

law" rile Park f)l"\};II~IIlCUl "";11 ,1tSO being mrned nuo :1 '<Ki.11 wcllarc agency:

in Olm<tt'd'~ words lhl' I}al~ Department h,ld h":I<HHC "au nxvlum lor ,l~r,'-

vared ('a~, of hc:ni.l. \'AIIlOSC vcrns. rhcumausm, p:lrti.11hlm.lm"" .md other

infirmities compclhng ~~·"~·IIt.lrymC'ui':Il1oll<'."

\Vhcll Chark« Ehot Norton sard of' him ()IIIl~lC"d). t(w:.m.ls the

close ufhi~ ~an.·c.:r.th<lf of .,11American .Irtbts he <tood "first III the

pi oductio» of grv;tt works which ,HlS\\,t_"1 tIll' IIC;:l'd, .uui ~Ive (':"\:-

pr(:).,'..ron to the hf(' of OUI' IIlIl11Clh(' .\It'd lIIi~l'dhneOllS democracy"

he did not C:"\:Jg~CI~Hc 01tlbtcd·:-. intluence.Lewis M umford. '111(' lJI4li111 Df(tTlJ,·(

F.nt~rlllg the park at 96th StlTCI and Central Park \Ve<.t. I walked south

al()l1g the western side of the reservoir on J bndle path. The IIppC"rp:lrt of till'

p;,rk thar mcludc- Harlem M..:er, I he Great Hill. and The North Meadow

(now filled \\'lIh h<111lidd~) WJS planned 101 1:I\CI';21 ;md horizontal views: ill

Olmsted's words It should be "bold and sweeping" .H opposed to rhc 10WCI

park's "hcrcrogcneous' character, One has the sell ..aliol) of bemg 1Il a sunken

forest .lS well. A ~CI1~ of remoteness was ple,ellt ill th1\ region. 'l'his §.CIUCof

ell~\llfincllt deepened as foliage ""gt!('~t(:d ehe harmonics. ronulieics, ;111(\

rllythl1\~ of Charles lvcs' IlHbic'- Tim',' Omtil!Qr Scenes. Cculillf P.lJk III N('illl,

:llIcI 111l' UW'I/'SII,'O't'.i Q1I1'.)/i'lII, suluitled A (.(,lSPIIIC UJlltf$(tlpl'. III parricui:lr.

At Bank Rock Urid~e 1> an entrance to The R:lIuh!e. 011 thc' hri(igc: -tood ;1

virusrer lookmg ChAr;t(h ..r, who looked hke the l),pt: witt) would rip Qff cam-

eras, Quickly I \'allishcd mto The Ramble- .;1 t.allgled net of divergent paths.

Just the day before I had been looking Jl stereopticon photos of how lhb place

looked helc)I\' '900, before the vcgcearion Olnutcd planted bad ~I OWII up. At

lh:lt time, rhe ~hll~ of The Lake ~till had the lon\: of a rock SlrCWH tjw\ny.

Ohnsted ItOldwanted to plant "rhododcndrou», .mdromcdas. azaleas. kalmias,