Miami Lunchtime Update: Britto and Tunick

Some tiny parts of Miami wish to be sophisticated, but what can you do?!?!?! At home in Buenos Aires, Bogotá, London, New York and Berlin, the same people support a refined sensibility. But at their second home (or third or fourth) condo, they just let it all pass. Boats, nightclubs and alcohol - socializing, not thinking.

The Sagamore Hotel with its hip contemporary art collection in the lobby - encourages or sponsors - Spencer Tunick to take pictures of naked people. Tunick stepped to a new low. On Monday October 8, 2007, Spencer Tunick chose the balconies and swimming pool for mass nude photographs "with neon pink and green rafts and about 500 bottles of champagne, which he directed models to simultaneously shake and explode like a human fountain." Best photos at thewest.com. Maybe Tunick was stumped by a place where everyone is basically nude all the time. So he reached for pink and plastic to signal the city.

Models setup for a Spencer Tunick photo. (Photo: thewest.com)

Pink continues to return as the Florida color. Christo utilized it for island wrap more than 25 years ago. Pink flamingos have graced the intro to "Miami Vice" and thousands of tourist brochures even though the bird is NOT native to Florida. Unfortunately, the color is disappearing on buildings after decades of pink retirement villas and condos.

Britto installed his Pyramid in Hyde Park, London. Worse than I imagined - but now a new symbol for Miami. Where are the quality control police? News release produced by the materials manufacturing company, Innovida.

Pyramid for King Tut Show in London at O2

Britto is only making his work bigger. He has a lot of work ahead to invigorate his art through public art as per Chihuly. See earlier aesthetic grounds essay.