Genius Loci

Here’s the process, end to end:

 

This project was done for our office in Roseville. When we initially acquired the space we specifically designed a sizable alcove to fit a piece of art that Brian (Designed & Made President) asked me if I’d be interested in making. I knew I wanted to do something that spoke to our spirit as a company. If you look at the piece, each line starts out in its own lane… but things become more interesting when you mix them together. In the crossing, folding, over and under of each set of colors is the simple idea that ideas are enhanced by collaboration.

Additionally, one of the values I spearheaded at Designed & Made was this drive to bring architecture and cabinetry closer to one another— to connect them more seamlessly. The painting was custom made for the alcove. The proportions of each rectangle coincide with the rectangular openings of the door, the alcove itself and the opening for the wet bar below it. It’s a very mathematical painting— almost everything about it is in some way related to the space. It is literally a response to the space itself. With that, I named it Genius Loci, which translates to ‘spirit of place’.

Here’s some of the inspiration and research I did to prepare:

 

This is a piece by Maya Lin— she works with existing topography to create these beautiful deconstructions of land as a way to talk about our planet and its many wonders and faults.

Jan Kalab makes these pieces— there are hundreds of them all over the world. This has always struck me as a very satisfying image due to the crisp line work and clever color choice, I just like looking at it… it sucks you in.

This is a model that Maya Lin did— I love how the lines operate in the space and create that energy. Again, she works with existing topography while I prefer to invent my own.

This is a piece by Rylsee. I love this piece even though it is speaking more to typography than to abstract painting. Graphic design has always been a huge inspiration in my work. That said, it looks like he used an old school scanner to distort the letters and I just love how liquid the resulting shapes become.

This is a piece by Audrey Large. I love these sculptures because they almost look like silk but they are 3d printed. I find the forms to be incredibly dynamic and interesting. It has a movement, a dynamicism to it and yet its function and material remain mysterious.

This is located in France in Le Bon Marche Rive Guache. I love the graphic and playful nature of this, especially in the context of a mall. It’s the suggestion of Inception without being too serious about it.