Apartment Block with Palm Trees, Miami Beach Putz Houses series by Jason Sargenti 2017

Miami Beach Apartment Block with Palm Trees by Jason Sargenti, 2017. Architectural Putz House with light-hole for Christmas lights. Width 5" x Height 4.65" x Depth 4"

This series of houses is inspired by "Miami Beach, I had never been there when I made these, so this was me dreaming, in winter, of what it must be like. Inspired by green dot putz forms of the thirties, I tried to include some variety, little Havana bungalow and apartment block along with hotels" J Sargenti.

Inspired by the American tradition of Putz Houses, popular from the 1930s to the 1970s, these tiny buildings harken back to the era when department stores showcased sets of miniature paper houses illuminated with tiny lights, creating charming villages.

Rooted in Christian and German European customs, the term "Putz" means to decorate or organize. Families would arrange these little houses around their nativity scenes to make it look like their own village. Initially originating in Europe, Putz Houses found their way to America through merchants. During World War I, when trade with European manufacturers ceased, American production adapted and reinvented the concept.

Facing a surging demand, American manufacturers outsourced production to Japan, where the innovative idea of folded paper emerged, making these decorations more affordable and easier to mass-produce.