ART DECO Mural, Tides Hotel lobby, Miami Beach, 2013
I was invited to submit a proposal for the art deco mural in the Tides Hotel Lobby in the summer of 2012. Because the hotel is located in the historic ART DECO District and its exterior has been inspired by the 1930s Art Deco style, the City of Miami Historic Preservation Department has requested that the mural had to depict a fusion of elements characteristic both to the South Beach Art Deco style and to the design of the hotel’s lobby. The approved design consisted of a vocabulary of abstracted tropical motifs for which South Beach is known for: the sunny beaches and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, sea shells, the elegant palm fronds, and of course, its vibrantly colored architecture with geometric patterns. The mural on canvas, which was adhered to the lobby’s walls consists of an amalgam of undulating, colorful, and suggestive shapes that connect with the hotel’s lobby décor.