Abstract

This case study of Peter Buch, self-taught creator-builder of an art environment in the remote mountains of Spain’s Castellon province, is contextualized within a broader discussion of the worldwide phenomenon of such invented spaces. Intimately linked to their creator in a way generally unmatched in any other circumstances of art, architecture, or landscaping, these sites are developed through an additive and organic process of creation, without formal architectural designs or engineering plans. Fabricated and found objects are combined into monumental compositions that are generally “permanently” fixed on site, andmay often combine elements of architecture, sculpture, landscaping, and painting. As such, they draw their power from the spatial context of the site itself as well as from the innovative multi-dimensionality of the interaction of the discrete elements, an experiential interface that creates a potency that is significantly dissipated if discrete works are removed or the site is demolished