Daniel Urban Kiley, Landscape Architect (1912 - 2004)
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Daniel Urban Kiley was born in Boston, Mass 1912. I won't write his biography here; there are plenty out there if you're looking for the more scholarly narrative. I will stick with what I know.
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My interest and passion for Dan's work started early on in my schooling days at University of Toronto. Not even knowing what landscape architecture was, I agreed to enter the program on the promise that I can transfer into the architecture program in my second year. During the course of my first year, I realized landscape architecture was much more interesting. While learning the history of architecture and landscape architecture, I came across the work of Dan Kiley. Immediately, I understood and realized, this is the kind work I want to do. This man's work was something special, something I can really connect with. I don't know what it was, the clean lines, the modernism that piqued my interest in architecture in the first place, or the creative play with nature in both formal and undoubtedly cheeky and humorous ways. Towards the last year of my 5-year bachelor program, I reached out to Dan. I went down to Vermont for my interview, and the rest was history. It's safe to say, my two years working for Dan was a dream come true. They say for starting a new job, there's always a honeymoon period. For me, the honeymoon never ended. For some people, you just have a connection, chemistry - either you have it or you don't. I can't explain it, but Dan and I definitely had it. I'm not sure if it's because I had the added advantage of knowing quite a lot about him through history books and published work of his, and naturally being a fan, I knew what to say or how to act to keep on his good side. But honestly, that strategic thinking was never needed. Dan and I had some kind of kinship. Simply said, I get it. I get his passion, where he's coming from, why he did what he did, and the influence of his early collaborator and friend, Eero Saarinen. When I took these photos, all of those ideas and emotions came to play, no other landscape architecture will touch me in quite the same way. The following are a collection of my photos of Dan project sites. For two of these projects, I was fortunate enough to have a hand in the design stage, Agnes R. Katz Plaza in Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee Art Museum.* Chapters 1 - Miller House & Garden - Part 1 - 2023 (1/8 - 40 images) 2 - Miller House & Garden - Part 2 - 2023 (2/8 - 54 images) 3 - St. Louis Gateway Arch National Park - 2023 (3/8 - 49 images) 4 - Pittsburgh Katz Plaza - 2017 (4/8 - 24 images)* 5 - Milwaukee Cudahy Garden - 2023 (5/8 - 59 images)* 6 - Chicago Art Institute - 2010 (6/8 - 22 images) 7 - Boston JFK Library - 2013 (7/8 - 65 images) 8 - Oakland Museum - 2011 (8/8 - 31 images) Photography: Terence Lee Related Link(s): Project Locations |
