Art Smart

Art Smart

by Margit Whitlock, AIA
Principal
Architectural Concepts, Inc.

(visit Margit's Tienda)

Published November 1, 2008

There has been a paradigm shift from “Me” to “Us”. This desire for “Us” to be connected is manifested in all aspects of our global lives. From cell phones, internet, text messaging, social networks, the draw to be connected is universal as we yearn for relationships and realize the importance of being alive.

As an architect, I study human nature and the effects of design on the end user. My study asks the question – besides the five sensory perceptions of sight, sound, touch, smell and audio, how are we connecting with our environment?

The answer is emotionally.

This explains the paradigm shift from “Me” to ”Us”; we emotionally desire to connect with people, places and things. In the hospitality industry, this is evidenced by guests seeking out emotionally provoking environments, places that make them happy, relaxed, spiritual, healthy.

How can we maximize the “experience” of our guests in our resorts? How can we control the “experience”? How do we create “memories”? How do we make emotional connections? Architecture and interior design play a significant role in creating the experience; the memories. Beside the sofa and chairs, drapes and bedding what can you control to emphasize your resort’s “experience”?

ART! – Paintings, photography, sculptures, ironwork, pottery, textiles, woodworks, glass; all of these forms of ART evoke emotions and express the individual, the unique, the special environment the resort has to offer. ART is not only about the color, composition or scale; it is about the dialogue it creates with the viewer: a sensation, a sentiment and a mood.

ART as a way to make your property distinct.

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. -Aristotle

ART can be soothing and peaceful. Selection of the right piece for the experience is critical. At the Golden Door Spa in the lobby we designed a Rain Chain water feature which incorporated a Tory Gate structure. There is a calmness brought about by the water and a sense of arrival upon greeting the Tory Gate.

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. - Pablo Picasso
ART can tell the story or history. Reinforce the importance of the culture or community your resort is in. For example at Cibola Vista Resort, maps of 16th American territories were used to deepen the understanding of the theme.

The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery. - Francis Bacon
ART is not a medium to underestimate. An un-thoughtful art program is disastrous. The emotional connection is empty and your guests will be uninspired. Many Mexican resorts have the typical sleeping man in a sombrero hanging on the wall. Where as in Cancun, we commissioned an artist to create an image of “Regina” for the Westin Club Regina properties.

The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity.” - Alberto Giacometti
Embrace the opportunities an art program can bring. Involve the local elementary school, have an art class on site and pick a winning entry from your guests’ pieces, have a rotating exhibit from a local gallery; be creative. Be a businessperson and license the art for sale in your gift shop. Think about it! There is more to this idea then pretty pictures on the wall.

According to….Rebecca Basford of Artful Living, San Diego, California. “Art no longer has to be the standard framed poster for a room, new technologies have allowed for printing on a variety of materials from lightweight aluminum panels, to bamboo or acrylic.” Rebecca adds that “we can produce very high quality reproductions resulting in gallery quality art at a fraction of the cost.”

As you consider the value of this concept please be aware that you need to make an investment in the art program. Even on a limited budget, invest in someone who knows how to take ordinary ideas and create them into ART. Your interior designer or an art consultant can show you the incredible ways the industry is producing artworks. The hotel industry has been leading the way in creating spaces through the use of innovative materials, extraordinary lighting, photography and commissioned pieces.

In psychology it is well known that “we humans” have varied learning centers. Visual and tactile experiences are the largest indicators to explain our physical environment. It would only make sense to implement a plan to reinforce your resorts underlying message thru ART.

Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known. - Oscar Wilde