About Garden Statues

 

A classic statue under a Passion fruit vine, close to a pond. Sherman Gardens and Library. Note how the Autumn colors climbers are "trapping" the nymph. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives. 2020.

Before incorporating a statue to the garden, a theme has to be selected. Will it be meditation, religious, decorative, animal, person (male, female), mythological? The size has to be according to the scale of the garden. The quantity, has to be decided. If more than one, a layout in a group is more indicated than having them dispersed, unless the garden is really extended and there is the chance to walk along different paths, in other words, to discover the different spaces created with every statue.

A group of spiritual statues next to a pond. From the book In a Mexican Garden. By Melba Levick and Gina Hyams. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives.

A rustic Mexican statue surrounded by a bed of Impatients. From the book In a Mexican Garden. By Melba Levick and Gina Hyams. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives.

A statue at the Sherman Gardens and Library. Newport Beach. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2020

A statue breaks the (eventual) monotony of plants, giving structure to a garden and creating interesting corners. If close to a source of water, it should face the water and if possible, to be reflected on it. If close to an edge, a (round, arch) wall with climbers would give a solid background for the overall composition. Flowers beds around a statue would be nice and a complimentary decoration.

A statue at the Sherman Gardens and Library. It's seen along a path. Newport Beach. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2020

Quiet figures that make us feel positive and in peace, are better than those aggressive which disrupt the “energy”.

Spiritual figures in gardens should be treated with respect and located in places of honor, never close to sewer, compost, heaps. The approach to the garden should be considered as a gradual trajectory; a pedestal is a good solution to see the statue as soon as a person enters the garden. 

The Virgin Mary in a very high pedestal with flowers beds around. Rancho Dominguez, Compton, CA. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives. 2019.

The Virgin Mary in a very high pedestal with flowers beds around. Rancho Dominguez, Compton, CA.  See how the paths lead to the statue and it becomes a focal point of view. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives. 2019.

Align statues along a fountain. Getty Villa, Malibu. The day was cloudy but we can still see the reflections on the water. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives, 2017.

A free standing statue on a pedestal at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA. I don't think the pedestal looks good just as a concrete cylinder. In my opinion it does not look integrated with the landscape around. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives. 2017.

A beautiful sculpture sitting on a rock and as a focal point of a path perspective. Getty Villa. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives. 2017.

The statue could be partially covered with climbers, hidden in the landscape as an archaeological concept, or be freestanding as the focal point of a perspective in a path, or maybe in a strategic location to be seen when a window is open.

Best materials for statues are natural ones, like wood, stone, or cast concrete, bronze, which make them look like pieces of art and not cheap white pop culture reproductions. 

A beautiful classic sculpture intertwined with ravines. Sherman Gardens and Library, Newport Beach. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives, 2020.

This picture above and next one below. I have taken them during a house remodel in Beverly Hills. Though the landscape works were not done yet, see how loose and careless the statues are left between the weeds and two pot plants. The "classic" guardrail is not good as a background. 

Photos by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives. AKA 2016