In February 2020, I was selected from a short list of local artists to design an art installation for the new AC Marriott Hotel in downtown Fort Worth. The client, development company Jackson Shaw, requested a “contemporary design with a Western flair.” My inspiration for the project was the local bootmaker, M.L. Leddy, which is located in the historic Ft. Worth Stockyards. The kind folks at Leddy’s allowed me to photograph several custom boot designs. The Pamplona Rose Column is inspired by a Spanish rose-themed leatherwork and a sunburst stitch on a custom boot.
The Pamplona Rose Column shape is based on a polaina, the Spanish term for a gaiter or leather legging often worn by riders. Often ornate, they take the place of a full boot stack when wearing short roper boots.
We wanted to ensure the right size and scale of the mosaic pavement and the column. We printed a full-sized paper pattern and I cut a Coreplast template to mock up the footprint and height of the center column. The Jackson Shaw staff, as well as architects from Merriman and Austin Industries assisted and weighed in.
Once fabrication started, I packed up the materials, patterns and mosaic tape. My summer studio is in Taos, NM. Here is the final Boot Stitch Mosaic pattern, laid out and labeled for the installers. It’s face-taped with clear mosaic mounting tape, and once the mosaic is set, the tape will be removed for grouting.
It’s really happening! Installers have set the template in the hotel entryway, filling the recess with sand-set Pavestone. A Schluter metal edge will be installed to contain the mosaic pavement. The column will take a bit longer, and we hope to start fabrication this fall for a winter installation.