Fairfield Inn Marriott
During the design and construction phases of the Fairfield by Marriott at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana, Michael S. McCall, expert in “place-making” development and physical planning, wanted to bring a unique playfulness to the new hotel. The result is an 80-foot-tall barn with a gambrel roof and accommodations for about 100 guests. The adjoining “Pool Party” room, the “milking parlor,” houses the colorful and sun-filled pool and fitness facilities.
One of the particularly outstanding elements of the Pool Party room is a bright and cheerful mosaic designed in collaboration with Artaic, that emphasizes the uniqueness of the property as a whole. McCall partnered with long-time friend, business associate, and renowned artist, R. Tom Gilleon, to create visuals for the space that capture the essence of the surrounding farmland and the agritourism it attracts.
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Installation Details
| Client | Marriott International |
|---|---|
| Location | Fair Oaks, IN |
| Tile Type | Vitreous Glass |
| Application | Artwork, Public Art, hotel, pool |
| Industry | Hospitality, Public Art |
IDEA TO IMPLEMENTATION
A master of color and composition, Gilleon manipulates formal elements to depict time-honored Western themes in new and inventive ways. His evocative perceptions of reality feature bold, luminous color and immense detail. After working with Disney and other theme park design groups as both a designer and an illustrator for many years, Gilleon brings these experiences and perspectives to his current projects, including his colorful and imaginative scene used for the Fairfield by Marriott at Fair Oaks Farms.
The piece, an endeavor in Surruralism – a surrealist take on ruralism, was translated from a painting to a 40-foot mosaic made of Vitreous Glass Tile. In order to recreate such a particular design as a mosaic, McCall and Gilleon turned to Artaic, a company with software and robotic technology capable of recreating existing imagery on tile.
COLLABORATIVE DESIGN & FABRICATION
There are innate challenges in translating an illustration or painting into a mosaic, as the mosaic form has a pixelated nature. Artaic designer Ashley Trap worked closely with Gilleon on each step of the translation process including choosing materials, emulating a brushstroke texture, balancing color composition, and creating the liveliness of the featured animals. To do so, Trap and Gilleon used vibrant 3/8″ Vitreous Glass, with a palette of reds, yellows, and various greens, that would closely match the color and texture of the original artwork.
“The Fair Oaks Farms team specifically asked for ‘a sparkle of life’ in the animals eyes that the kids playing in the pool area would see” said Trap. “This partnership was such a fun one! Color was VERY important to them and Tom was very understanding of how his paintings would end up looking a bit different and more simplified in mosaic form. He was able to change the artwork to better translate into mosaic and we were able to work the mosaic to better represent his work. This was a real collaboration and we were able to meet somewhere in the middle between ‘pixelation’ and paintbrush strokes.”
The result is a scene that resonates with hotel guests looking to escape to the country and reconnect with nature and animals. The dreamlike scene depicted in the mosaic features a farm with apple orchards, horses grazing in the distance, a winged pig, and a bull taking a dip in a fountain. The hotel directly connects to Fair Oaks Farms’ 17,000-square-foot Farmhouse Restaurant, Pub, and Conference Center, providing complete dining offerings and meeting spaces for guests to utilize. In addition, the locale is a renowned family destination, often referred to as the “Disneyland” of agritourism.
As seen in the Fairfield by Marriott at Fair Oaks Farms, Artaic’s software offers artists a tool to transform their artwork into the mosaic medium—giving hoteliers such as Michael McCall, an innovative way to integrate long lasting, impactful, and site-specific artwork into their properties.
InspireDesign: A Dreamlike Scene
