Morris Lapidus as Vernacular Artist

I think you are making some revisionist jumps in thinking there when you infer that Lapidus was not trying to be unique, or that he, or others at the time, did not consider his works on Lincoln Rd. to be "art". Maybe he wasnt "straining", but that was just because he was so good at what he did.

I have always loved his title for his autobiography- "too much is never enough"- he certainly was aware of what he was doing, and I am sure he had his own opinions on whether or not it was "art".

Public sculptures, or follies, achieve a familiar, comfortable and loved status based on their own characteristics, and how well they were done in the first place, and how well they fit in.
Lapidus was a pro, as well as an artist, and it shows.

I wonder though, about your definition (unstated) of vernacular- generally, this to me would suggest a piece that is NOT designed, but built in a prevailing, comfortable local style, something more subconcious in the minds of local craftsmen, as opposed to a sculpture or piece of architecture like these Lapidus pieces, that is VERY considered.

For instance, a forged iron cross on a scandanavian grave in the upper midwest would be "vernacular"- an individual craftsman, working within an established style.
Or a bungalow in Jamaica, built by masons without plans or architect.

But Lapidus- I dont see that as vernacular. He helped write the design vocabulary of South Florida, and some of his ideas may have been absorbed into a common vernacular of "deco" strip malls, but his own work wasnt vernacular.

And public sculpture, by its very nature, can become comfortable, or part of the familiar landscape, but it is almost never vernacular in the sense I would use the word.