An installation for the (e)merge art fair in Southwest DC at the Capitol Skyline Hotel.

Pioneer of modern architecture Mies Van der Rohe is known to have said: “Less is More.” Morris Lapidus, prolific mid-century architect of the Capitol Skyline Hotel less famously retorted: “Too Much is Never Enough.” This sentiment captures his uniquely American sense of excess and play.  It is between these two statements that this installation emerged as I attempted to assert my own aesthetic vision. 

Initially, I was drawn to the distinct structure of the Capitol Skyline façade, looking simultaneously uneasily retro and futuristic. I delved into Lapidus’ design philosophies, and they became touchstones that guided the formation of the piece:  the use of bright colors, curves, and masses of shapes were all hallmarks of his ebullient, populist-centered architecture.  Though strongly influenced by Lapidus, I aimed to bring my own artistic concerns to the space. My relationship to the material, plastic ball pit balls, is tinged with nostalgia and memories of exhilarating play as a child.  The gesture itself is an attempt to create sculpture that holds its own against the hotel, creating a direct dialogue between building and artwork.