Karen M'Closkey is the winner of the Garden Club of America Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania.
What part of the United States did you come from?
I have lived in many cities but my home for the last five years is Philadelphia, PA, which I absolutely love.
Describe a particularly inspiring moment or location you've experienced in Rome thus far.
There are places and features that are so characteristic of what we “expect” of Rome—those aspects that figure heavily in the collective images of Rome—such as the Pantheon and the umbrella pines scattered across the landscape. Those do not disappoint! However, what I appreciate most is not individual places but the fabric of Rome. This place is so “thick” with horizontal layers—cultures building on top of other cultures—as well as the vertical layers that continuously unfold as you move through the winding streets. I’ve never been so disorientated in my life; sure that I was going in one direction when in fact I was going in the opposite. I love this aspect of Rome. But I suppose if I had to choose my favorite thing about the city, it is the many passageways and stairs that traverse the topography.
To what extent, if any, has your proposed project changed since your arrival?
My project has not changed since my arrival, but it did change well before my arrival when I began a book last year with my partner Keith VanDerSys. The book looks at various kinds of patterns that form our landscapes, and form how we understand and guide processes in our landscapes. Because the pace of design is quite different from the pace of writing, I chose to focus on writing while I am here since I need long, uninterrupted blocks of time to work. The beautiful studio space and the people who take such good care of us here have made this possible.
Have you had any "eureka!" moments or unanticipated breakthroughs in the course of your work here?
The process of discovery in writing is very much like the process of design, which is based, at least for me, less on flashes of insight and more on pulling together disparate sources and gradually building an argument that becomes clearer and more refined as it is continually reworked. However—and I know this is not the point of your question—the chocolate gelato with olive oil and sea salt was truly a eureka moment, prompting me to ask “how can something so seemingly simple be so amazing and, more importantly, why have I never experienced this before?” I am tempted to try to make this decadent dessert myself but that would surely be folly, so I will have to rely on my memory. Thank you RSFP chefs and interns for your dedication to the art and craft of food!
What aspect of your project are you most looking forward to?
I am most looking forward to visiting some Renaissance gardens as my partner and I begin thinking about our book chapter on ornament. He arrives this week and I have held off seeing these places so that we can experience them together.
What's surprised you most about living in Rome?
I was surprised at how easy it was to feel comfortable, not just at the Academy of course but being in the city, buying food, eating out, etc. I do not speak Italian so I was worried about that; however, the Romans have been very accommodating and friendly.
How have you managed the balance between your work (time in the studio/study) and engagement with Rome and Italy (travel, sightseeing, interactions with locals)?
I do not try to balance day to day or even week to week. I prefer to work in large blocks of time, and play in large blocks of time! It helps me refocus on my work after taking a break. Given that I only arrived in February, my first few months were spent focused on my work, attending lectures, and absorbing all that Academy life has to offer. My last two months will be interspersed with visits from friends and family where I will see as much as possible. I also joined the wonderful spring trip to Abruzzo led by Kim Bowes, and have been able to travel to other cities in Italy (Reggio Calabria and Florence) to lecture on our design work and the work I am doing here at the Academy.
How do you anticipate your Rome Prize Fellowship will influence future work?
In addition to being inspired by fellow designers and artists here, I have enjoyed meeting other faculty / practitioners of landscape architecture because they bring a different perspective to the discipline and to our work. Having had the opportunity to lecture at various schools in Italy and France has given me a greater appreciation of how our work is understood outside the context of the United States, especially to better understand which aspects of the discipline and profession are quite similar and which are not. It goes without saying that these places have entirely different sensibilities toward landscape, both in terms of its history and especially in terms of how we understand and make “nature” in contemporary images and landscapes.
What is your favorite spot at the Academy?
Well, it is impossible to pick a single favorite place at the Academy but I feel that the dining room will be the memory that returns most often to me. I arrived in February so I did not experience eating in the Cortile until a couple of weeks ago. I will never forget my first night here, waiting for the doors to open and, when they did, seeing all of the tables set. I am sure the room was sparkling! The Cortile is serene and fragrant, but I loved the daily ritual of waiting for the dining room doors to open. I also love the surprise of not knowing who you will share your meal with, and what new people you will meet. And of course this pleasure extends to the bar, and occasional post-dinner pool playing.