The Intersectionality of Art, Architecture, and the Environment
exploring the architectural creations of James Wines
James Wines was born in 1932 and began his career as a sculptor. When working in Italy, he developed an appreciation for “the intrinsic blending of art, architecture, communicative iconography, and public space.” During the 1950s and 60s, Wines exhibited his artwork in galleries before he began his architectural career. James felt that as a sculptor, his displayed work was not public enough in exhibitions.
James Wines relocated to New York as part of his career transition. His goal was to create buildings that drew inspiration from their surrounding environment. In 1970, he created SITE (Sculpture in the Environment) alongside Alison Sky, Emilio Sousa, and Michelle Stone. SITE is an architecture and environmental arts organization focusing on the design of buildings, public spaces, environmental artworks, landscape designs, master plans, interior and product design, and more. The founders of SITE were against the dominant narrative that architecture was purely functional, which became popular during the Industrial Age. Instead, they aimed to create buildings that could tell a story and create commentary on their physical contexts, largely through altering pre-existing architectural forms. The main objectives of Wines’ designs are on green issues and integrating buildings with their surrounding contexts.
The fusion of art and architecture is evident in many of SITE’s designs, such as the Forest Building and Ghost Parking Lot. The Forest Building creates the illusion of a building being consumed by nature. It is located in Virginia and was completed in 1980. The Ghost Parking Lot (1978) provided commentary on consumerism and car culture by laying asphalt on top of the cars. Wines is passionate about his creations being specific to their environments.
“Unlike public art conceived from a private art perspective, this project cannot be removed or exhibited apart from its context without a total loss of meaning.”
James Wines often incorporates trees and nature into his designs and the use of pre-existing structures contribute to his sustainable and environmentally friendly designs. Wines is currently a professor of architecture at the Pennsylvania State University .