This project argues that representations of landscape are used to communicate political and ideological agendas. Whether removing untidy nonhuman nature to create an idealistic picturesque image, or erasing indigenous populations to create the image of an untouched wilderness, representations of nature are not neutral, but absolutely political. 

This project makes the claim that the images of landscape that were born in the 17th and 18th centuries continue to serve as an archetype for the production of built landscapes, and are therefore implicated in setting the scene for the anthropocene (an era characterized by unprecedented environmental degradation, species loss, and social inequities). With retrospective awareness, landscape designers are presented with an opportunity to either continue to perpetuate a dichotomous image of landscape that treats nature as a subordinate other, or to explore alternative narratives that embrace cyborg nature: part culture- part organism.

Credits:

Rebecca Anderson.