I ♥ Art Deco
It's no secret that I love things that are distinctly Miami. Tostada and cafe con leche, Calle Ocho, Miami Sound Machine, and Jose el Rey's moustache to name a few. But just like every good New Yorker that has yet to visit the Statue of Liberty, South Beach's Historic Art Deco District is a blatant, yet hidden, gem that most Miamians pass by on their way to something more interesting, like topless beaches or club Mansion.
Art Deco, particularly Streamline Moderne, and the history of South Beach are almost indistinguishable. There are examples of it literally everywhere you look. From the distinctive architecture of the buildings, most notably the lips, ledges, and streamline design, or the design and engineering of the period found in everything from toaster ovens to cars.
The celebration of technology and industry coming together in the form of art and design is one of the cooler moments in the history of this country. But why is it so prominent in South Beach? Why is Miami Beach the largest area of Art Deco architecture in the United States?
Sometimes Google and Wikipedia fail my curiousity for information. My 10 minutes of researching didn't turn up a definitive explination for the connection between Miami Beach and Art Deco, but then again I'm also the first person to admit the connection between bloggers and lazy journalism.
Probably the main reason is that Miami Beach experienced it's main population and tourism boom during the time period when Art Deco was at it's most popular. Combine that with the very nature that Miami Beach was an escape for rich Northerners, and probably the hotels catered to new and modern designs, like how Dubai is catering to the opulent desires of the uber-rich tourism industry.
Nonetheless, it is undeniable that South Beach and Art Deco will forever be linked; well, at least until SoBe goes out of vogue and they tear down all the buildings and replace them with Eco-Friendly floor to ceiling glass modern marvels. But for now, Art Deco is a continued celebration of the unique design and architecture that was brought to the sandy shores of Miami Beach 80 years ago.
This year's Art Deco Weekend (January 15-17), the 33rd, focused on automobiles of the period. Whether this was an actual focus, or just a gimmick to get classic cars out on Ocean Drive, I wouldn't really know; but then again, I found myself looking at a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle asking, "this was part of Art Deco?" (The Art Deco period is typically defined as the period between the Great Depression, 1927, and the start of World War II, approximately 1938.)
To distract myself from the endless line of booths and merchant tables, I turned my eyes to the buildings lining Ocean Drive and tried taking in as much Art Deco as I could. Actually, I also stopped to watch a hilarious British insult comic magician in front of Versace's Mansion, his best line: "Hey kid, keep it down or I'll have to put my hand in my pocket and strangle your father." Nothing quite like saying incredibly perverted things to little kids before they can understand what it means... I hope.
This may be stating the obvious, but we are pretty damn lucky to have an art movement as part of our city's landscape, along with Miami Modern (MiMo).
Here is a spattering of random photography that I took at the event. Notice the themes of: Cool Cars, Weirdos, and Unique Buildings. Next time I may actually fork out the 20 bucks to go on one of the tours.
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Thanks for the great photos of the cars at Art Deco Weekend. I am on the board of the car club that presented them, and I'd like to let you know that the classic cars have been participating in the festival for over 20 years. And while we don't have a lot of cars in the club that represent the true Art Deco period, we've always felt as if we are part of the Miami Beach heritage. (By the way, last year and the year before, Billy Joel participated in the car shows, bringing in some classic motorcycles.)
The Art Deco Weekend organizers honored us by focusing on the classic car this year, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of the national Antique Automobile Club of America and the 55th anniversary of the local chapter. We also provided lectures on the history of Art Deco, its architecture, and the history of the classic car.
Thanks again for the great pictures.
My pleasure Bobby. By the way, pointing out the 70 Chevelle wasn't a complaint just an observation. Either way they were definitely my favorite part of the day, well, except for the British insult comic magician.