Ron Herman
The son of a Southern California nurseryman, Ron Herman attended North Hollywood High School and worked with his father in developing gardens for many Hollywood personalities, including Steve Allen, Phil Silvers, and Jayne Mansfield. Later, at the University of California at Berkeley, he studied under noted designers Garret Eckbo and Lawrence Halprin, founders of the philosophy of landscape design that came to be known as California Style. "It was an exciting time to be at Berkeley," says Ron. "I was inspired by the passions of public speakers, and the many new, emerging forms of expression in the arts, such as dance and film. I learned to look outside of gardens and into other art forms as a source of inspiration."
Upon earning a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley, he opened his own design office in Los Angeles. At age 24, with a promising landscape design practice established, Ron decided to pursue graduate studies in Japan. "The three years of graduate work at the University of Kyoto during the 1960's changed my direction completely. I had seen pictures of Japanese gardens and thought they were precious. Studying them firsthand opened me up to the dynamics of the Japanese form, the interplay between the formal and the informal." Ron realized the study of historical gardens would provide the foundation necessary to mature as a designer. The experience led to a lifelong study of Japanese design. His success at the University of Kyoto led to a teaching position as Visiting Lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley. Ron taught all areas of landscape architecture, including Japanese garden history, for twenty years, while working in his design practice. He left academia in 1988 to again concentrate on residential design. He has also traveled widely in Europe to study historic and current landscapes.
The Japanese approach to garden design has deeply influenced Ron's landscape designs. His approach to design involves manipulating space and perspective to create a feeling of expansiveness. He believes that two qualities, sequence and spatiality, set his work apart from others creating large-scale landscapes.
"The garden unfolds as one moves through it. Through sequencing and layering, the landscape will appear to be larger than it actually is. I shape it and manipulate it to create a tension between the formal and informal elements of the garden. I don't really have a signature style. I approach each job as a totally new concept, and try to fulfill the potential. However, in my work you will always see that I break down the garden into different areas, a hierarchy of spaces. You will see scenes unfold, as in a drama. When you look back through the garden, new complexities will show that weren't apparent at first. I rarely reveal the whole garden at once."
He has kept close ties to Japan, visiting frequently on several research grants and maintaining fluency in the language. Ron has authored numerous papers on Japanese garden design and co-authored A Guide to the Gardens of Kyoto, which is often noted as an authoritative text on Kyoto's historic landscapes.
Appearances
- Japanese Garden Lecture Series, March 2010
