In Miami, Maestro Dobel and Artnet Debut the Results of a Yearlong Collaboration With Artist Julian Mayor

At Art Basel Miami Beach today,
artist Julian Mayor will debut his latest artwork, the culminating
project of a fruitful, yearlong
collaboration with
Artnet and Maestro Dobel Tequila.

Inspired by the geometry of the
agave plant, from which Dobel’s cristalino tequila is carefully
sourced, the UK-based sculptor crafted a nearly eight-foot-long
freestanding bar—his most ambitious project to date. In addition,
he made steel cocktail vessels and hand-blown tequila-tasting
glasses inspired by Mayor’s recent trip to Mexico City, where he
fell in love with the city’s long-standing traditions and recent
modernization.

While there, a friend introduced
him to the artisans at Vissio, a local glass studio where he worked
to realize the handmade tasting glasses, which in turn sparked the
idea for the cocktail vessels. 

After months of tinkering, Mayor
is excited to finally unveil the pieces at the fair this week. “I
designed the bar to have a bit of a wow factor, so I’m really
hoping that it comes alive in peoples’ minds as much as it does in
its physical environment,” he said.

The artist spent about two
months designing the bar on his computer, playing around with 12
different concepts before locking in the final design. Then, he
laser-cut sheets of mirrored stainless steel and “tacked” them
together using bullhead screws to ensure the work was structurally
sound before welding it all together.

The building process took a
little over two weeks. “The final concept was chosen for its look
and representation of the collaboration, but also to showcase the
art and craft of my work,” Mayor said. “It really pushed the limits
of both my creative imagination and welding
skills.” 

In many ways, Mayor’s
exploration of the possibilities of sculpture, enhanced by his use
of technology, also reflects Maestro Dobel Tequila’s dedication to
preserving the storied traditions of their distillation techniques,
while still pursuing innovation.

The spirit company is constantly
evolving to enhance the nature of its one-of-a-kind blend—comprised
of Extra-Añejo, Añejo, and Reposado tequilas—that are laid together
in Hungarian oak casks before being funneled through a charcoal
filter to color-correct the liquid and eliminate its bitter notes,
ensuring a crystal-clear color and finish.

Mayor similarly seeks a perfect
finish for his work, while also allowing the handmade nature of his
craft to shine through when viewers examine the pieces up close. “I
recognize that the work can appear a little austere at first, and I
don’t mind that,” he said. “But hopefully, when you see the craft
that went into it, that hand-built human warmth comes
through.”

Mayor also hopes that viewers
enjoy the barware as much as they do the main event. “I’m really
looking forward to guests enjoying Dobel’s tequila in the pieces
themselves,” he said of the kickoff dinner where the work will be
debuted. “I invested as much attention to detail for the welds of
the vessels as I did for the bar, so I really hope they’re
well-received.” The pieces are also now available for purchase exclusively
online.

Looking back on the last year,
the artist notes that the collaboration has contributed
significantly to what he describes as one of the most creative
periods of his career. The ability to bounce ideas between the
creative teams at Artnet and Maestro Dobel was especially helpful
in taking his work to new heights.

“I don’t really consider myself
to be one of those great artist-hero types,” he joked. “I’m more of
a team worker, and, in a sense, because my work straddles art and
design, it’s a little bit like an architectural project. While
working with the teams was challenging in some ways—because you
want to make sure you’re representing everyone involved, while also
staying true to yourself—there was a lot of joy in collaborating
with others, and that’s a big part of what attracted me to the
project in the first place.” 

Mayor also says the
collaboration has helped him to become more of a
risk-taker.

“I’ve learned to take more
chances and pursue that initial burst of inspiration more fully
when I get it,” he said. “I think when you have an idea, it’s often
something that takes five minutes to form in your mind and then
you’ve got to go through a long process of trying to retain the fun
of those five minutes and actually bring the idea into being. You
can’t lose sight of what that was. I think what’s changed this
year, gradually, is having the confidence and conviction to believe
in the original idea and see it through, rather than water it down.
My confidence increases the more vigorously I pursue that burst to
the end.” 

The post In Miami, Maestro Dobel and Artnet Debut the
Results of a Yearlong Collaboration With Artist Julian Mayor
appeared first on artnet News.