{{Short description, Type of artistic installation Owl_house_2003_01

A visionary environment or fantasy world is a large artistic installation, often on the scale of a building or

sculpture park A sculpture garden or sculpture park is an outdoor garden or park which includes the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings. A sculpture garden may be private, owned by ...

s, intended to express a vision of its creator. The subjective and personal nature of these projects often implies a marginal status for the artists involved, and there is a strong association between visionary environments and

outsider art Outsider art is art made by self-taught or supposedly naïve artists with typically little or no contact with the conventions of the art worlds. In many cases, their work is discovered only after their deaths. Often, outsider art illustrate ...

List of visionary environments

* Jim Bishop:

Bishop Castle Bishop Castle is an "elaborate and intricate" "one-man project" named after its constructor, Jim Bishop, that has become a roadside attraction in central Colorado. The "castle" is located in south central Colorado on State Highway 165 in the ...

(US) *

Aw Boon Haw Aw Boon-Haw (; 1882 in Rangoon, British Raj – 1954 in Hawaii), OBE, was a Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist best known as founder of Tiger Balm. He was a son of Hakka herbalist Aw Chu-Kin, with his ancestral home in Yongding C ...

(胡文虎) (sponsor/concept):

Haw Par Villa Haw Par Villa () is a theme park located along Pasir Panjang Road in Singapore. The park contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore, legends, history, and illustrations of various as ...

(Singapore),

Tiger Balm Garden Tiger Balm Gardens are public gardens that existed or continue to exist in three East Asia locations. They are also known as Haw Par Villa gardens. All three Tiger Balm Garden locations were built by the Aw family (Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par). T ...

(Hong Kong) * Johann Michael Bossard:

Kunststätte Bossard Kunststätte Bossard is an expressionist '' Gesamtkunstwerk'', sometimes also referred to as a visionary environment, located in the town of Jesteburg in Lower Saxony, Germany. It was created by Swiss artist (1874–1950) and his wife, Jutta Kr ...

(Germany) * Peter Camani: Midlothian Castle ( Screaming Heads) (Canada) *

Ferdinand Cheval Ferdinand Cheval (19 April 1836 – 19 August 1924), often nicknamed Facteur Cheval ("Mail Carrier Cheval") was a French mail carrier who spent 33 years building Le Palais idéal (the "Ideal Palace") in Hauterives, in southeastern France.

: Le Palais idéal (France) *

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the s ...

: Chapelle Saint-Pierre à Villefranche-sur-Mer, Chapelle Sainte-Blaise des Simples de Milly-la-Forêt (France) * María Ángeles Fernández Cuesta: Arguedas, Navarre environment (Spain) * Samuel P. Dinsmoor: Garden of Eden (US) *

Lluís Domènech i Montaner Lluís Domènech i Montaner (; 21 December 1850 – 27 December 1923) was a Spanish architect who was highly influential on '' Modernisme català'', the Catalan Art Nouveau/Jugendstil movement. He was also a Catalan politician. Born in Barcelon ...

Palau de la Música Catalana Palau de la Música Catalana (, en, Palace of Catalan Music) is a concert hall in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed in the Catalan '' modernista'' style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1905 and 1908 for ...

(Spain) * Kevin Duffy: Rectory Garden Centre, Tudor Village (UK)
official site
*

Howard Finster Howard Finster (December 2, 1916 – October 22, 2001) was an American artist and Baptist minister from Georgia. He claimed to be inspired by God to spread the gospel through the design of his swampy land into Paradise Garden, a folk art scul ...

: Paradise Garden (US) * Tom Every: Forevertron (US) * Robert Garcet ( French Wikipedia article): Tour d'Eben-Ezer ( French Wikipedia article) (Belgium) *

Antoni Gaudí Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (; ; 25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Catalan architect from Spain known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works have a highly individualized, ''sui generis'' style. Most are located in Barcel ...

Park Güell Parc Güell ( ca, Parc Güell ; es, Parque Güell) is a privatized park system composed of gardens and architectural elements located on Carmel Hill, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Carmel Hill belongs to the mountain range of Collserola – t ...

Sagrada Família The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, shortened as the Sagrada Família, is an unfinished church in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Designed by ...

Casa Batlló () is a building in the center of Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces. A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí and has been refurbished several times after th ...

Casa Milà Casa Milà (, ), popularly known as ''La Pedrera'' (, ; "the stone quarry") in reference to its unconventional rough-hewn appearance, is a '' Modernista'' building in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was the last private residence designed by arc ...

Casa Vicens Casa Vicens () is a modernist building situated in the Gràcia neighbourhood of Barcelona. It is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí and is considered to be his first major project. It was built between 1883 and 1885, although Gaudí drew up the ...

(Spain) * Randy Gilson: Randyland (US) *

Manfred Gnädinger Manfred Gnädinger (1936 in Boehringen, Germany – 28 December 2002, in Camelle, Spain) a.k.a. ''Man'' or ''O Alemán'' was a German hermit and sculptor who lived in the village of Camelle, on the Costa da Morte, in Galicia ( Spain). ...

: The Museum of the German (Spain) * Annie Hooper: Bible Stories (US) *

Friedensreich Hundertwasser Friedrich Stowasser (15 December 1928 – 19 February 2000), better known by his pseudonym Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser (), was an Austrian visual artist and architect who also worked in the field of environmental protection ...

: Hundertwasserhaus (Austria), Quixote Winery (California), Waldspirale, Grüne Zitadelle von Magdeburg ( German Wikipedia article) (Germany) * Raymond Isidore: Maison Picassiette ( French Wikipedia article) (France) * Mollie Jenson: Art Exhibit (US) * Karl Junker ( German Wikipedia article): Junkerhaus ( German Wikipedia article) (Germany) * Sergei Kirillov (С.И.Кириллов): Kirillov's house (Russia) * Leonard Knight:

Salvation Mountain Salvation Mountain is a hillside visionary environment created by local resident Leonard Knight (1931–2014) in the California Desert area of Imperial County, north of Calipatria, northeast of Niland, near the Slab City squatter/art com ...

(US) * George Paul Kornegay, near Brent, Alabama (US) *

Chalermchai Kositpipat Chalermchai Kositpipat ( th, เฉลิมชัย โฆษิตพิพัฒน์, ; ; born 15 February 1955) is a Thai visual artist. Primarily a painter, Chalermchai's works have been exhibited worldwide, and he is known for his use of ...

(เฉลิมชัย โฆษิตพิพัฒน์):

Wat Rong Khun Wat Rong Khun ( th, วัดร่องขุ่น), better known as the White Temple, is a privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Pa O Don Chai, Mueang District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by Chale ...

(Thailand) *

Bill Lishman William Lishman (February 12, 1939 – December 30, 2017) was a Canadian sculptor, filmmaker, inventor, naturalist and public speaker, president of William Lishman & Associates Limited, Vice President of Paula Lishman Limited and Chair Emeritu ...

Underground house
(Canada) * Helen Martins:

The Owl House ''The Owl House'' is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that premiered on Disney Channel on January 10, 2020. The series stars the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick, Alex Hirsch, Tati Gabrielle, I ...

(South Africa) * Đặng Việt Nga: Hằng Nga Guesthouse (Vietnam) * Mary Nohl Art Environment (US) * Eddie Owens Martin: Pasaquan (US) *

Pirro Ligorio Pirro Ligorio ( October 30, 1583) was an Italian architect, painter, antiquarian, and garden designer during the Renaissance period. He worked as the Vatican's Papal Architect under Popes Paul IV and Pius IV, designed the fountains at Villa d� ...

Gardens of Bomarzo The Sacro Bosco ("Sacred Grove"), colloquially called Park of the Monsters (Parco dei Mostri in Italian), also named Garden of Bomarzo, is a Mannerist monumental complex located in Bomarzo, in the province of Viterbo, in northern Lazio, Italy. ...

(Italy) * Tressa Prisbrey: Bottle Village (US) * Simon Rodia:

Watts Towers The Watts Towers, Towers of Simon Rodia, or ''Nuestro Pueblo'' ("our town" in Spanish) are a collection of 17 interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics within the site of the artis ...

(US) *

Nek Chand Saini Nek Chand Saini (15 December 1924 – 12 June 2015) was a self-taught Indian artist, known for building the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, an eighteen-acre sculpture garden in the city of Chandigarh. Early life and background Nek Chand hailed fro ...

(नेक चंद सैणी):

Rock Garden of Chandigarh The Rock Garden of Chandigarh is a sculpture garden for rock enthusiasts in Chandigarh, India. It is also known as Nek Chand Saini's Rock Garden of Nathupur after its founder Nek Chand Saini, a government official who started building the ga ...

(India) * Niki de Saint Phalle: The Garden of Tarot (Italy) * Jules Senis:

Jardin Rosa Mir The Jardin Rosa Mir (English: Rosa Mir Garden) is a garden located in the center of La Croix-Rousse quarter in the 4th arrondissement of Lyon, and created by Jules Senis. It is housed in a courtyard of the building at No. 83 Grande Rue de la Croix ...

( French Wikipedia article) (France) * Vollis Simpson: Windmill Park (US) * Bunleua Sulilat (บุญเหลือ สุรีรัตน์):

Buddha Park Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan (as well as other variations of the spelling), is a sculpture park 25 km southeast from Vientiane, Laos in a meadow by the Mekong River. Although it is not a temple ('' Wat''), it may be referred to as Wat X ...

(Laos),

Sala Keoku Sala Keoku ( th, ศาลาแก้วกู่; ; , also spelled as Sala Keo Ku, Sala Keo Koo, Sala Kaew Ku, Sala Kaew Koo, Salakaewkoo, Sala Gaew Goo, Sala Kaeoku, etc. Alternative name: Wat Khaek) is a park featuring giant fantastic con ...

(Thailand) * Robert Tatin ( French Wikipedia article): Musée Robert Tatin (France) *

Kea Tawana Kea Tawana (c. 1935 – August 4, 2016) was an American artist known for creating the ''Ark'', an 86-foot-long, three-story high ship she built in Newark, New Jersey, starting in 1982. For decades she had collected salvaged wood, stained glass, and ...

: Ark (US) * Billy Tripp: The Mindfield (US) *

Lek Viriyaphant Lek Viriyaphan ( th, เล็ก วิริยะพันธุ์, sometimes referred to as Khun Lek; 1914 – 17 November 2000) was an eccentric Thai businessman, millionaire and patron of culture responsible for the construction of Ancien ...

(เล็ก วิริยะพันธุ์) (sponsor/concept):

Sanctuary of Truth The Sanctuary of Truth () is an unfinished museum in Pattaya, Thailand designed by Thai businessman Lek Viriyaphan. The museum structure is a hybrid of a temple and a castle that is themed on the Ayutthaya Kingdom and of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs ...

Erawan Museum Erawan Museum ( th, พิพิธภัณฑ์ช้างเอราวัณ) is a museum in Samut Prakan Province, Thailand. It is well known for its giant three-headed elephant art display. The three storeys inside the elephant contain ...

Ancient Siam Ancient Siam (also known as Ancient City, th, เมืองโบราณ, Mueang Boran) is a museum park constructed by Lek Viriyaphant and occupying over in the shape of Thailand. Ancient Siam is dubbed as the world's largest outdoor mu ...

(Thailand) * Jacques Warminski: L’Hélice terrestre (France)
official site
* Bruno Weber: Bruno Weber Park (Switzerland) *

Isaiah Zagar Isaiah Zagar (born 1939) is an American mosaic artist based in Philadelphia. He is notable for his murals, primarily in or around Philadelphia's South Street. Early life Zagar received his Bachelor of Arts from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, ...

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens Philadelphia's Magic Gardens is a non-profit organization, folk art environment, and gallery space on South Street (Philadelphia), South Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To date, it is the largest work created by mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar. ...

(US) * ''various artists'': The

Albany Bulb The Albany Bulb (also simply known as The Bulb) is a former landfill largely owned by the City of Albany, in California. The Bulb is the west end of a landfill peninsula jutting west from the east shore of San Francisco Bay. The term "Bulb" is ...

(US)

References

*John Maizels, Deidi von Schaewen (photo), Angelika Taschen (ed.), ''Fantasy Worlds'',

Taschen Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen. History The company began as Taschen Comics, ...

(2007) *John Maizels (ed.), ''Raw Vision Outsider Art Sourcebook'', Raw Vision Ltd (2002) *John Beardsley, ''Gardens of Revelation: Environments by Visionary Artists'', Abbeville Press (1995) *Roger Manley, Mark Sloan, Jonathan Williams, Ted Degener (photo), Marcus Schubert (photo), John Blumb (photo), Ron Byers (photo), ''Self-Made Worlds'', Aperture (2005) *Leslie Umberger,

Erika Doss Erika Lee Doss is an American educator and author, having served as a professor in the Department of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Doss received her Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is th ...

, Ruth Kohler, Lisa Stone, ''Sublime Spaces and Visionary Worlds: Built Environments of Vernacular Artists'', Princeton Architectural Press (2007)

External links

SpacesArchives.org website Outsider Environments blogspot Shrines.tv website
01 Visual arts genres Installation art Naïve art Outsider art Architectural history Landscape design history

List of visionary environments

See also

References

External links