Kendall H. Brown - Visionary Landscapes: Japanese Garden Design in North America, the Work of Five Contemporary Masters

Acknowledgments

It is a privilege to thank the many people whose work and generosity produced this book. As with Quiet Beauty , photographer and friend David Cobb is the eye that brings gardens to life on the printed page. His photos reveal what words struggle to convey. The staff at Tuttle Publishing again displayed professionalism and dedication in every part of the project.

This book is the product of the garden makers as well as the countless artists in the fields of construction and garden care who create and foster gardens. I am deeply grateful to Hichi Kurisu, the late Takeo Uesugi, David Slawson, Shin Abe and Marc Keane for sharing their vision and their words. I am equally indebted to the generous patrons, home-and-garden owners and public and commercial garden managers who allowed us to publish their gardens and their thoughts. Behind those people are many staff and family members who are also part of this story. A great delight in researching this book was meeting garden volunteers and supporters whose insights helped me realize the profound values of Japanese-style gardens today.

Another pleasure was working with seminar students whose research, ideas and questions shaped my thinking. I would like to thank Loretta Ramirez, Kay Kamiya, Nareh Marootian, Mano Takegami, Trina Brown, Dominique Garcia, Cassie Urena, Claudia Serrano, Christa Weston and (for her insight on Marc Keane) Alexandra Macheski. I am grateful to my colleagues in the Japanese garden field and the members of the North American Japanese Garden Association whose work, knowledge and inspiration are making Japanese gardens part of a better world. As always, I am most thankful for the help of my wife and work partner, Kuniko Brown.