Interview with Marc Peter Keane
Designer Interview
15 February 2013
My mother was a fashion designer — my father and avid naturalist. The combination create in me an artistic interest in the landscape.
Gardens such as the Tiger Glen Garden which tell a story.
Stones. In Japan, stones are the essential element of gardens, so much so that the very first expression for "gardening" was "ishi wo taten koto," — the art of setting stones.
Like birthing.
People feel calm and introspective in the garden.
Inspiration comes from nature.
I live in the USA but my wellspring of ideas in Japan where I lived for 18 years.
I do sketches with pencil on paper, and move to SketchUp for modeling and then Vectorworks for documentation.
Express the essence of each material.
I have designed gardens for private individuals, companies and temples in Kyoto.
Depends on the project. If I am hired to designed a garden in an existing building, then I work by myself. If the garden is to be part of a new project, then I work as part of the whole design team.
http://www.mpkeane.com