Lo and behold! There is much more to the Jersey Shore than meets the eye. Away from the crowded tourist bustle, decadent kitsch atmosphere and boardwalk arcade illumination, there is, (or was) an untapped mid-century modern architectural forgotten land.
Captured over ten years, Philadelphia-based artist Mark Havens gives the motels of the New Jersey city of Wildwood a different moment in the spotlight, away from the off-highway, cheap and tacky film references that popular culture associate them with. Essentially a revolutionary architectural diary, the new tome titled Out of Season: The Vanishing Architecture of the Wildwoods historically marks a dialogue that is comparable to many mid-century modern architects.
'Miesian rectitude meets Eamesian playfulness on the Jersey Shore,' Jamer Hunt cites in an opening essay. Haven zooms in on these hidden details, the subtle repetitiveness, an inject of colour, and the simple lines and angles all surrounding these treasures.
The buildings were initially created in the 1950s and 60s in anticipation of a new highway connecting even more tourists to the area. They have since been stuck in time, pristine, but slowly deteriorating, going 'out of season' and 'vanishing' as the title suggests.
The visual narrative works as a 24-hour period from dawn till dusk, ominously representative of the existence of the motels and their demise. The lens focuses on many a detail; the patterns created from the shadows of Louisville & Atlantic's balustrades, the sleek flat roofs of Palm & Atlantic and a bold use of solid colour across many.
Havens still maintains some of the savoir faire of motels though, like the piercing neon lights that stand out. Featured towards the end, the reel of different signs, and their equally gimmicky names, 'Pyramid', 'Blue Water', and 'Fleur de Lis', marks a slightly forbidding end to the intimate celebration of these landmarks.
The Philadelphia-based artist captured the hidden details of many of the motels across a ten-year period. Pictured: The Untitled (12th & Kennedy)
The buildings were initially created in the 1950s and 60s in anticipation of a new highway connecting even more tourists to the area. Pictured: Untitled (Louisville & Atlantic).
They have since been stuck in time, pristine, but slowly deteriorating, going 'out of season' and 'vanishing' as the title suggests. Pictured: Untitled (Spicer & Pacific).
The visual narrative works as a 24-hour period from dawn till dusk, ominously representative of the existence of the motels and their demise. Pictured: Untitled (7th & Surf)
The lens focuses on many a detail; the subtle repetitiveness, an inject of colour, and the simple lines and angles all surrounding these treasures. Pictured: Untitled (Palm & Atlantic).
'Miesian rectitude meets Eamesian playfulness on the Jersey Shore,' cites Jamer Hunt about the buildings in an opening essay. Pictured: Untitled (Fern & Atlantic)
Havens still maintains some of the savoir faire of motels though, like the piercing neon lights that stand out. Pictured: Untitled (Saint Paul & Atlantic).
Featured towards the end, the reel of different signs, and their equally gimmicky names, 'Pyramid', 'Blue Water', and 'Fleur de Lis', marks a slightly forbidding end to the intimate celebration of these landmarks. Pictured: Untitled (Preston & Atlantic)
INFORMATION
Out of Season: The Vanishing Architecture of the Wildwoods by Mark Havens, £30 by Booth-Clibborn Editions. Available from 21 June from the publisher’s website
-
House P’s linear, leafy composition aims for a ‘sensory architecture’House P by Vandenborre Architecten is a family home conceived as a leafy sanctuary of minimalist elegance in suburban Belgium
-
Artyzen celebrates tenth anniversary with grand openings in Shanghai and Singapore
Artyzen New Bund 31 Shanghai and Artyzen Singapore are the luxury hospitality group's latest state-of-the-art offerings
-
Artists consider magic, matter and memory at the Melbourne NGV Triennial
Melbourne’s NGV has opened its third triennial, uniting art, design and architecture from around the world
-
Sheila Metzner’s jewel-toned fashion photography goes on show in Los Angeles
‘Sheila Metzner: From Life’ is at the Getty Center until 18 February 2024, including her richly toned fashion photography and still lifes; the artist tells us more
-
Takashi Murakami on his monsterizing San Francisco show
Takashi Murakami tells us of pandemic-inspired creatures, eye-popping flowers, and NFTs as he explains the making of his exhibition at Asian Art Museum in San Francisco
-
How to conquer the Atomic City: the story behind U2 at the new Las Vegas Sphere
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere redefines the 21st-century rock concert. We spoke to the band and its team about the genesis of this expansive art and music experience that marks the opening of the high-tech venue
-
Ceramicist Jonathan Cross on crafting art from desert materials in the Mojave
Jonathan Cross’ flourishing practice incorporates local sand and stones from his base on the edge of Joshua Tree to create minimalist works with a unique patina
-
Ken Gun Min’s mixed-media montages reframe cultural influences and queer identity
South Korean-born, LA-based Ken Gun Min illusively combines painting, embroidery and illustration
-
Jack Pierson’s photographs and sculptures go on show in New York
Artist Jack Pierson draws on life experiences for a new show, ‘Pomegranates’, at Lisson Gallery, New York
-
TikTok gets tangible: artist Devon Rodriguez opens his first exhibition, in New York
Devon Rodriguez, who until now has reserved his work for his 31 million TikTok followers, has opened his first exhibition at UTA Artist Space’s pop-up gallery in Chelsea, New York
-
Man Ray’s sculptures go on show in New York
‘Man Ray: Other Objects’ opens at Luxembourg + Co, New York, revealing their author’s ‘artistic revolution’
