Roberto Burle Marx

 “A garden is a result of an arrangement of natural materials according to aesthetic laws; interwoven throughout are the artist's outlook on life, his past experiences, his affections, his attempts, his mistakes and his successes.” - Roberto Burle Marx 

Personal artwork painted in the style of Roberto Burle Marx and edited in Adobe Photoshop

In September 2018 I began studying at the University of Gloucestershire. I can recall one of the very first projects we were assigned; an independent research assignment investigating the work of past and present landscape architects. From Jan Gehl to Martha Schwartz, each student was assigned a notable landscape designer. For me, it was Roberto Burle Marx. As I enter my final semester at university, I feel compelled to revisit his work. Burle Marx was one of the first designers to truly inspire me. As a painter and a landscape architect I am fascinated by his design process; the way his work evolves from painting to planting. 

Born in Brazil, Burle Marx was an artist of many medium. He was a painter, sculptor, print-maker, musician and landscape architect. Unsurprisingly, his artistic endeavours fed into each other.  His passion for art was reflected in the landscapes he created. Characterised by tropical planting and colourful paving, his modernist landscapes were uniquely bold and graphic. Burle Marx was captivated by arcing lines and flowing patterns. I especially like the way he avoided symmetry. To this day, the Copacabana Beach promenade in Rio de Janeiro remains one of his most iconic works (below). What would it feel like to walk through such a vibrant and dramatic space? Under the cloudless Brazilian sky, I can only imagine it would be a joyful experience!

It is critical to acknowledge Burle Marx’s pioneering role as an environmentalist. One of the first Brazilians to speak out about deforestation, he experienced first-hand the formidable destruction of Brazil’s natural ecosystems in his expeditions to the Amazon rainforest. 

In the 1940s, Burle Marx was considered a ‘plant explorer’ and conservationist. On his excursions throughout Brazil, he would gather native plants at risk of extinction. A pioneer in preserving native flora, Burle Marx was noted for protecting and using Brazilian species; advocating the preservation and awareness of native plants. Today this is particularly important given the reality of climate change. As the UK experiences more frequent and extreme weather events, it is critical that landscape architects take action to protect native plant species.