Article
Coral Gables News
August 19-25, 2003
by Gary Alan Ruse
Drivers
and pedestrians passing the construction site on the
corner of Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Andalusia in Coral
Gables will be treated to an unexpected art experience.
An eight-foot tall plywood barrier stretching along for a
half block has been decorated with a painting of carousel
horses by noted Venezuelan artist Arturo Correa. Click here to see the Mural.
"I believe this is the first mural to be created
in downtown Coral Gables," said Virginia Miller, owner
and director of ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries.
Long a mainstay of the South Florida art community, Miller
was asked by representatives of Hines, an international
real estate firm, to find someone to add an artistic touch
to a functional but otherwise bleak wall. Several artists
were proposed and evaluated but Correa proved to be the
favorite.
"I chose Arturo Correa for this important
project because he excels at installations and large statements
such as this one," Miller said. "He's highly
enthusiastic, totally professional, and his work always
has a solid philosophical basis."
Correa was born in Valencia, Venezuela,
in 1967 and recently was chosen to represent Venezuelan
visual arts in the Third Annual International Arts Festival
of Valencia. He has held one-person exhibitions in the
Museum of Fine Arts in Maracaibo, the Museum of Barquisimeto,
the Salazar Museum of Art in Valencia, and several private
galleries in Venezuela, as well as 80 Washington Square
East Gallery, New York City; the University of Central
Florida, Orlando, and numerous group exhibitions. None
of his previous works were on quite the scale of this
new project.
"Although I have done a number of
installations, the 120-foot carousel mural is my largest
project to date," Correa
said. "I view carousels as a metaphor for life itself.
You enter the carousel of life, and if you really
want to badly enough, you will choose the horse you like
the best or you can resign yourself to take whatever
horse is available. When your carousel starts going around
you get excited and emotions are high, but then it winds
down and finally, it stops.
"Then another
generation of boys and girls climb up onto the carousel
of life, decide whether they want a particular horse badly
enough to grab it and whether they dare to stretch out
for the elusive brass ring of success or just ride around
in circles with all the others." The mural is expected
to be there for a year while construction
is under way, then it may be taken to another location
for exhibition. The
artist used gallon-sized cans of exterior acrylic latex
in roughly a dozen colors to create the expansive
work.
Tom Roth, project director of the
Mediterranean-inspired 12-story, 250,000square-foot
office building that also will house condominiums and
retail stores, thinks the merger of art and business
was a perfect partnership.
"As part of the development of 2525
Ponce de Leon, Hines wants to incorporate art and recognize
the fine artistic talent that exists in Coral Gables, both
among its citizens
and in its galleries," Roth said..."We feel this
is an appropriate location to enhance the pedestrian experience
in Coral Gables and to allow an important internation al
artist to leave at least a temporary impression on the
streets of our city."
Virginia Miller agrees with Roth on the significance of
the effort.
"It is important to note that this
project reflects the vision and commitment to enhance the
visual quality of a public space both by Hines, the developer,
and by the City of Coral Gables," Miller said. "Clearly,
they recognize that installations of art such as this one
can transform public spaces into sites that lift our spirits,
offer insights into the special world of our imaginations,
and give us a sense of community."
The painting, which took roughly
four days to complete, required the assistance of Correa's
wife, Jennifer, and his mom, Magaly Vilar, who applied
preliminary background
paint.
"When people look at this carousel
from the outside, they say that it looks like a real one," Correa
said. "When
you go inside and walk from one end to another, it takes
you to a world of innocence and joy. When you walk through
that peaceful loggia, you forget that you are on the street.
It's like a retreat, an oasis away from the hustle and
bustle of real life. People are amazed at how different
they feel those 120 feet change their attitude from their
daily routine."
Arturo Correa will have a major solo exhibition
at ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries, Coral Gables, in
October and November, ...
top
|
