Interior Design / Installations

“The Painter’s Suite”
30’ x 20’ x 14’
Maple, fir, cedar, pine, Venetian plaster, found objects, Himalayan salt blocks, marble, etc.
2024

Yes, this is a Suite in a spa. And in that sense I suppose it’s best to start by describing this as an interior design project. The implication in that statement is that it is not a work of art. And that is where the trouble starts. These terms are often useful to help us refine our understanding of one thing or another and to make it easier for us to communicate clearly with one another. But sometimes they inadvertently deny the possibility of nuance and even dual purpose or definition. Architecture, after all, is always included in surveys of art and certainly buildings are serving multiple purposes including artistic ones. So why not interior design as well?

The utilitarian purpose of this room is to make it a suitable addition to the spa which I, not so incidentally, own at the time of this writing. As such, there were certain basic requirements. It had to have a toilet, a sink, a bathtub, a sauna and so on. It also had to have a quality in its parts as well as its whole that was fitting for the spa.

However, there is something else going on here that makes it not just artistic…..as in lovely and full of art objects….but also art. The desired effect was a place where one could quietly reconnect with some authentic sense of themselves through elements of nature and the way they harmoniously supported art objects such as painting, sculpture and craft objects. There are 6 kinds of wood involved. Several types of stone. Furniture that I designed and built. The use of epoxy to make the exposure of wood to water possible and the inclusion of various levels of both theatrical and obfuscated light. There is also copious use of exposed Himalayan salt which gives off a warm amber light when backlit but also releases a vary subtle salty quality to the air especially in the sauna.

This room also has 2 massage tables and a place to recline. And it features a large pull down scroll of paper and painting supplies to support creative exploration or note taking. The paper can then be pulled down and torn off easily.

The intention is to create a cave like space that allows one to begin with the physical through massage. Then gradually shift one’s attention to the spiritual and creative through the sauna, water and creativity or just quietly sitting.

There are a couple of details worth elaborating on. Several walls are covered with Venetian plaster. This is a mixture of lime, water, pigment and marble dust. It is possible to purchase this product premixed in a variety of colors. And I did. When it arrived it was more orange than desired so I added burnt sienna pigment and thoroughly dissolved it in the mix. However, it still wasn’t right. So I added black powder and only partially stirred it in knowing it would create black smears which would echo the black epoxy infusions in the wooden furniture. When applied correctly this creates a translucent glow that makes regular house paint appear dull and opaque. However, when used in combination it can be very rich and yet not overwhelming. I also rubbed dorlands wax onto it where it would be exposed to repeated water such as above the tub and sink.

The tub, bathroom sink and stools were also designed and made by me (with some help) for this room. The Himalayan salt lamp in the middle of the room was built by my friend Chris Ducci to my “napkin” design specifications. The light in the bathroom was designed and built by my associate and master carpenter Chris Robbins to match the other lamp and the feeling of the room. I helped a little with the epoxy and Himalayan salt lenses.

Mark Rothko is one of my favorite painters. His works are large abstract fields of color meant to be looked at for prolonged periods of time and intended to help the viewer experience something subtle yet powerful about the underlying currents of energy that make the universe. He also designed and had built a place designed to enhance the experience of his work. It’s known as “the Rothko Chapel.”

At the opposite end of the spectrum are the instalations of abstract expressionist artist Edward Kienholtz who created rooms that the viewer walked into to experience the darker undercurrents of contemporary life. These installations are also create powerful artistic experiences.

What is similar about them is that you have to walk into them. Unlike a sculpture that you walk around or a painting that you walk up to, these pieces require that you walk into them. And like these 2 artists, I have put objects, including sculptures and paintings in them to enhance the experience.

My “Painter’s Suite” is nothing like a Rothko Chapel or a Kienholtz installation. And unlike both of those examples, mine is also part of a functioning business where on one level it is simply a nice place to get a massage. But there are much simpler and cheaper ways to achieve “a nice place to get a massage.”

Instead, it’s my hope that people who spend time in the room will be moved by my artistry to have their own little moment of aesthetic arrest or emotional and spiritual epiphanies. Like the Rothko Chapel, the effect is subtle and yet has the potential to be deeply rejuvenating.