“If an artist can paint a picture of a landscape – art mimicking nature – then why not a sculptor creating a landscape of a work of art – nature mimicking art?” In 1988, artist James T. Mason proposed that Georges Seurat’s landscape painting: A Sunday on the Island of La Grand Jatte be recreated in topiary within the seven-acre Old Deaf School Park. Construction of the frames and planting of the topiary shrubs started in 1988. The garden was dedicated in 1992. Located in downtown Columbus, this unique topiary tableau comprises 54 human figures, eight boats, three dogs, a monkey and a cat – each made of yew and the tallest standing at 12 feet. The scene also includes a man-made pond to represent the river seine, where boat-shaped topiaries reside next to beautiful water lilies.Photo: Friends of the Topiary Park
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