MODERN MOSAICS: FROM MUNDANE MATERIALS TO MAGNIFICENCE.

MODERN MOSAICS: FROM MUNDANE MATERIALS TO MAGNIFICENCE. Mosaics, mosaics, mosaics. It seems as if everywhere we look we seemosaics. It is an art form that has resurfaced as a popular craft form.Tables, flower pots, candle holders, garden stepping stones For the home of the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, see .The Stepping Stones are three prominent rocks lying 0.5 miles north of Limitrophe Island, off the southwest coast of Anvers Island. , coastersand just about anything you can imagine has been covered in mosaicmaterial of one type or another. Mosaics can be made from any of anumber of materials, from the traditional tessera tessera:see mosaic. and glass, to mundanematerials such as stones and beads, to the unexpected bottle caps, nutsand bolts nuts and boltspl.n. SlangThe basic working components or practical aspects: "[proposing] , and industrial castoffs. FIRST, A BIT OF MOSAIC HISTORY Traditional mosaics, most noted inancient Byzantine culture, were made from small pieces of stone andglass set in cement. The decorative nature of mosaics became extremelypopular in Roman villas, with mosaics covering floors and walls. Thetiles were set unevenly in cement, probably not intentionally, and thiscreated a shimmering shim��mer?intr.v. shim��mered, shim��mer��ing, shim��mers1. To shine with a subdued flickering light. See Synonyms at flash.2. effect when the light from windows and candlesplayed across their surfaces. These shimmering figures seem to comeeerily to life and are, perhaps, the reason why the churches of theperiod came to be called "Houses of Mystery." Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. (March 30,1890, Oak Park, Illinois – May 31, 1978, Santa Monica, California), commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American architect who did most of his work in Southern California. used this technique in the construction of hisleaded windows. He discovered that if the glass pieces were set unevenlyin the leaded panel, the light would be reflected in an equally unevenmanner. The reflection of sunlight would make it impossible to seethrough the window from the outside. The effect would be somewhatjewel-like, with light reflecting from different facets at differenttimes. This enabled the windows to serve their original purpose from theinterior, that being to see out and to let light enter. At the sametime, this trick made it possible for the occupant to leave the windowsbare of curtains, and still feel rather secure in his or her privacy. Mosaics may be seen in many public buildings today. The gloriousarchitecture of yesterday stands proud as a tribute to the talents andskills of artisans long gone. Floors, walls and ceilings are decoratedin both interior and exterior spaces. One cannot help enjoying them,contemplating with awe the time-consuming, painstaking process and thepatience of the dedicated laborers who created these artworks. Chicagoabounds with such mosaic treasures, which can be enjoyed not only in thecity's architecture, but also in its art. MOSAIC MATERIALS I have always been most impressed with the mosaicart style and regard it with the utmost respect. I do not believe youcan fully appreciate the accomplishments of the mosaic artist unless youhave tried to complete a similar task yourself. I became interested in mosaic making as a class assignment with itsrecent resurgence in popularity for home decorating and crafts. Mosaicdesigns may be found everywhere from nontraditional kitchen countertopsusing a broken-tile technique to garden stepping stones incorporatingcolored glass in cast concrete. It seems that you cannot pass through asingle day without encountering mosaic patterns in one form or another. The cost of traditional mosaic making, using either glass orceramic tiles, makes this technique incompatible with classroomeconomics. Most art teachers would have to find a substitute material ifthe experience were to be introduced to several advanced studio classes.Many cost-efficient materials can be found, however, depending onconsiderations such as size and weight of materials, necessary adhesive,and tool and equipment requirements. Studio size, storage accommodationsand drying facilities will also play important roles in the finalmaterial decision. Unable to move past the scavenger mode of the stereotypical artteacher, I found myself using a free industrial castoff--cork shoeinsoles--for tile making. I do not even know exactly where thistreasured material came from, but it was headed for the trash pileduring our department's most recent cleanup campaign until Isalvaged it. I did not know exactly what I would use it for, but I knewit was much too interesting and valuable a material to discard. STARTING WITH A STUDY OF COLOR not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed.See also: Color The steps leading to a finished workof art are each important in their own way, and none may be skipped orrushed. The sequence of the steps and the successful completion of eachstep must be stressed, especially to the beginning artist. It is a majormisconception that the artist can merely set up his or her easel andmake a masterpiece. An understanding of the process is as important as,if not more important than, the finished work. Our process began, not with a study of mosaics, but rather with astudy of color. The descriptive, emotional and expressive qualities ofcolor were discussed and explored. Each student was asked to assemble acolor palette Also called a "color lookup table," "lookup table," "index map," "color table" or "color map," it is a commonly used method for saving file space when creating 8-bit color images. with at least 12 samples selected from the printed pagesof magazines. These colors were to represent the colors associated witha specific season of the year. Next, every student was asked to make a list of words related tothe colors or the imagery of the seasons. Students then made a chartconsisting of color samples, associated words and marks that couldrepresent the words listed. Marks could suggest texture, direction,motion or objects. Finally, each student built a collection of magazine photographsrepresenting the selected season. Photographs could suggest the seasonthrough color, subject matter, location and so on. From all of thecollected materials and lists, the students made several thumbnailsketches of a landscape or cityscape (company) CityScape - A re-seller of Internet connections to the PIPEX backbone.E-Mail: <sales@cityscape.co.uk>.Address: CityScape Internet Services, 59 Wycliffe Rd., Cambridge, CB1 3JE, England. Telephone: +44 (1223) 566 950. . Each student then chose one of these thumbnail sketches to enlargeto a predetermined pre��de��ter��mine?v. pre��de��ter��mined, pre��de��ter��min��ing, pre��de��ter��minesv.tr.1. To determine, decide, or establish in advance: size and drew freehand See Macromedia FreeHand. on a piece of blackconstruction paper. Colored construction paper was carefully selected toapproximate, as closely as possible, the colors of the originalcomposition. The colored paper was torn into small square pieces representingthe tiles and placed on the black paper, emphasizing directional motion.Our past study of van Gogh's paintings proved helpful inunderstanding how the tiles could suggest direction and motion in thesame way van Gogh used brush-strokes in his paintings. A critique followed this experience. The limited colors of theconstruction paper yielded beautiful results, and the soft, torn edgesmade for a finished piece that I knew would be much different from thefinal tiled mosaic. I felt that the contrast and comparison of the twotechniques would be another example to the students of the many possiblesolutions to the creative process. Mosaics can be made in numerous waysand using various materials. MOVING TOWARD THE FINAL STAGE The paper mosaic became the workingmodel for the final stage of the assignment. The sketch was transferredto a piece of masonite board and outlined with a bold black marker.Next, the marks chosen to represent objects or areas were made directlyon the masonite using the same black marker. Again, our previous studies of van Gogh's paintings provided auseful reference point to make the students aware of the visualpossibilities that exist with a directional brushstroke. The entiresurface of the mosaic panel was eventually covered with marks of varioussizes, shapes and directions. These marks became a reminder as to howthe "tiles" would be laid out to complete the design. Byzantine mosaic wall decorations were used to illustrate how thevarious colored tiles could be used to create shaded, as well asintricately detailed, compositions. Examples of mosaic-patterned workswere displayed at each workstation for inspiration and motivation asstudents worked on their own designs. Cork was precut pre��cut?adj.Cut into size or shape before being marketed, assembled, or used: precut fillet of fish; precut construction materials.tr.v. into 1/2-inch strips and made available to allartists. Students were required to cut these strips into"tiles" of appropriate sizes and shapes to correspond to themarks drawn on their patterns. Tiles were then glued in place, leaving apredetermined amount of grout GroutA binding or structural agent used in construction and engineering applications. Grout is typically a mixture of hydraulic cement and water, with or without fine aggregate; however, chemical grouts are also produced. space between each. Once all of the tile work was complete, the mosaics were sealedwith a coat of white acrylic (interior wall) paint. Only the topsurfaces of the "files" must be sealed, as this is the onlysurface that is to be colored in the next phase of the assignment. Ifthe student was successful in carefully designing and arranging the cuttiles, the total composition is obvious at this point. APPLYING COLOR Color is now applied using acrylic paints. This is afirst-time experience for many of the students, as most have only workedwith tempera tempera(tĕm`pərə), painting method in which finely ground pigment is mixed with a solidifying base such as albumen, fig sap, or thin glue. paints or watercolors. Every area of the composition was tobe dry-brushed to the surface using at least three different colors, orvariations of a color. Practice sheets are useful until students feelproficient with the technique. Moving to the tiled surface, the students soon discover that thedry-brushing technique will result in paint being applied only to thetop surface of each file. Spaces between tiles need not be painted, asthese areas are going to be filled with grout when the painting processis complete. The careful layering of dry-brushed colors builds into jewel-likecoloring and surface textures that are unattainable in the moretraditional painting styles. Colors take on an interesting depth and, atthe same time, give a feeling of antiquity to the finished piece. Areasmay be easily reworked on a daily basis until total satisfaction isachieved. Once the painting is deemed to be "complete," thework must be sealed using either a water- or oil-based varnish varnish,homogeneous solution of gum or of natural or synthetic resins in oil (oil varnish) or in a volatile solvent (spirit varnish), which dries on exposure to air, forming a thin, hard, usually glossy film. . Thevarnish will protect the painted surface during the grouting grout?n.1. a. A thin mortar used to fill cracks and crevices in masonry.b. A thin plaster for finishing walls and ceilings.2. Chiefly British Sediment; lees. Often used in the plural. process. IT ALL COMES TOGETHER Wall or floor grout is mixed and applied asper instructions on the product container. Grout may be purchased in awide variety of colors, and can also be tinted using tempera or ink.Practice will dictate how much grout should be mixed for each panel.This is a very important consideration, as individuals will be groutingat different times, and the grout, though having a long drying time,cannot be held overnight. Use the same precautions with the groutingmaterials as you would with plaster of paris. Grout should be forcedinto all spaces and the surface wiped with a clean, damp sponge, as donewhen tiling a floor or wall. After drying overnight, the piece should be sealed with a floor-and wall-tile sealer sealer,n a substance used to fill the space around silver or gutta-percha points in a pulp canal. Most contain some combination of zinc, barium, and bismuth salts and eugenol, Canadian balsam, and eucalyptol. for added protection. Clean the back of the panelwith a sponge and water. The mosaics can then be framed, matted, mountedor presented as finished pieces. Our mosaics were a time-consuming but very worthwhile experience. Ithink we could move on to a traditional mosaic-making assignment in thefuture, as we have a good understanding of the many stages of theprocess. If you set aside enough time in your lesson plans for such anendeavor, you and your students will certainly be satisfied with theresults. I say. "Try It." Robert Basso is chairman of the art department at Curie Curie(kürē`), family of French scientists.Pierre Curie, 1859–1906, scientist, and his wife,Marie Sklodowska Curie, 1867–1934, chemist and physicist, b. High Schoolin Chicago, Ill.