Exhibition Brazilian Modern: The Living Art of Roberto Burle Marx at the New York Botanical Garden
Brazilian landscape designer Burle Marx married the formal innovations of European modernism with the bursting palette of plants native to Brazil.
Roberto Burle Marx (1909–94) was a force of nature in Brazil—through his bold landscapes, vibrant art, and passionate commitment to plant conservation. His powerful modernist vision produced thousands of gardens and landscapes, including the famous curving mosaic walkways at Copacabana Beach in Rio and the beautiful rooftop garden at Banco Safra in São Paulo. Feel his artistic energy and love of plants during our Garden-wide exhibition of lush gardens; paintings, drawings, and textiles; and the sights and sounds of Brazil that inspired his life and work.
Landscape design is a living art. “One may think of a plant as a brush stroke, as a single stitch of embroidery; but one must never forget that it is a living thing,” reads a small, white-and-green placard sheltered beneath the fronds of an Everglades palm. The quote is from a 1962 lecture given by the artist Roberto Burle Marx. Burle Marx painted on canvas, wove tapestries, and crafted jewelry, but he is inscribed in Brazil’s history as the country’s most influential landscape designer. The work of Burle Marx is the subject of the New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) current exhibition, Brazilian Modern: The Living Art of Roberto Burle Marx.
