Mosaic Art NOW

The Return of the Mosaic Atlas

2012-01-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

There is very good news for mosaic lovers around the world today. The mosaicatlas.com is back. Thanks to the very large heart of John O'Brien and the technical wizardry of Allan Punton, this online resource is alive and well.

Mosaicatlas.com began as a twinkle in the eye of O'Brien almost ten years ago. The UK-based mosaic artist and former president of the British Association for Modern Mosaics thought that it would be an excellent idea to have a place on the internet where people could share photos of public mosaics and have those photos cataloged by geography – creating, in essence, a "mosaic atlas."

If you were planning a trip to a new country, you could check to see if there were mosaics in your destination to include in your itinerary. Even if you weren't traveling, a mosaic atlas would be a great place to find mosaic inspiration and help you daydream of faraway places.

During a mosaic conference in 2005, O'Brien infected MAN founder and MosaicRocks entrepreneur Bill Buckingham with the idea and Buckingham, who had the technical skills to make it so, soon had mosaicatlas.com up and running.

Buckingham continued to maintain and update mosaicatlas.com until 2009, when his battle with prostate cancer required that he put the project on hold. At that time mosaicatlas.com contained:

3814 Mosaics from
75 Countries and
616 Locations submitted by
305 Contributors

With Buckingham's death in 2010, Michael Welch, Buckingham's partner in business and life, gave the website domain to O'Brien.

O'Brien says it's time now to expand the mosaicatlas.com database:

Mosaicatlas.com is now open again for additions. Please share your mosaic discoveries with the rest of the world by uploading them to the atlas. At the very least, make sure your hometown is represented – take a photo of a local mosaic and submit it!

We think it important to note that mosaicatlas.com exists solely because two of the art form's most ardent enthusiasts, John O'Brien and Bill Buckingham, volunteered their time, money and expertise to make it happen. It is a lovely, lovely gift to the world at large.

John O'Brien

Bill Buckingham

Thank you, John. Sweet dreams, Bill.

Nancie

To upload photos, go to www.mosaicatlas.com and click on Contribute A Photo.

Exhibiting NOW in the San Francisco Bay Area: Mosaic Artists Kate Kerrigan & Ellen Blakeley

2012-01-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

Kate Kerrigan, February Morning, Paris 2008 24" x 32" Italian marble, gold smalti

Two very fine mosaic artists had gallery openings last week in the San Francisco Bay Area. By coincidence, both of these women, Kate Kerrigan and Ellen Blakeley, were selected by Crocker Art Museum Curator Scott Shields for inclusion in Mosaic Art NOW's 2010 Exhibition in Print. Chilly winds and rainy streets notwithstanding, if you are in the area we highly recommend that you put on your galoshes and take advantage of the opportunity to see beautiful mosaics in gallery settings.

Kate Kerrigan, whose February Morning, Paris is seen above, has opened her one-woman show "Urban Scenes" at Focus Gallery in San Francisco's North Beach area.

Kerrigan is well-known for artful mosaic interpretations of her own photography.

February Morning 2000

Whether photographic or mosaic, Kerrigan's evocative image making captures isolated human elements within repetitive urban shapes and patterns. In February Morning, Paris (the work selected for MAN's 2010 Exhibition in Print) a solitary figure can be found found lingering on a park bench within a field of recurring trees, lamp posts and grates.

In her mosaic interpretation of this photograph, Kerrigan has chosen to apply the classical mosaic background pattern known as opus circumactum to the street pavement–adding yet another pattern and, at the same time, providing a much-needed visual differentiation from the background and sidewalk areas.

Kerrigan captured another solitary human element within urban patterning in this wonderful photograph of an aqua alta filled Piazza San Marco in Venice.

A Walk in the Rain 2000

Here is Kerrigan's mosaic interpretation.

A Walk in the Rain 2007 24" x 16" Marble.

Kerrigan was named a finalist in the international mosaic competition known as the 2009 Orsoni Awards for another watery mosaic, Rainy Day, Central Park.

Rainy Day, Central Park 2009 22" x 32" Smalti, gold smalti

What you can't see in these photos is Kerrigan's skillful, careful use of white gold smalti to represent the rain-shiny pavement in the original photograph. All the more reason to go the exhibit if you can.

Rainy Day, Central Park 1997

Our favorite in the group of mosaics being shown at The Focus Gallery is The Red Umbrella

The Red Umbrella 2010 24" x 16" Marble, smalti

Finally, the rain has stopped and our unseen friend is home safe and dry.

The Red Umbrella 2008

Kerrigan tells us that the opening was a great success with a full house of happy viewers–and buyers–all evening long. The seven mosaics being shown comprise the total of Kerrigan's mosaic work since 2007; she is nothing if not meticulous. The exhibit runs now through February 1st. Details below.

All photos courtesy of the artist.

Ellen Blakeley is showing three works in the group show "Bakers Dozen" at the Quicksilver Mine Co. in Forestville, CA. We made attending the opening part of a Saturday safari through west Sonoma County.

Heartwood 2012 Glass, wood, mixed media

Photography by Douglas Sandberg

All three of the works in Bakers Dozen are from Blakeley's "Bark Series." In these homages to the beauty in nature, Blakeley applies her signature mosaic technique–broken tempered glass over a melange of paint, pigments, and metallic powders–to pieces of oak bark and wood she finds on walks in a vineyard near her studio.

It was one of the first works in this series, Meredith, that Scott Shields chose as Best in Show for Mosaic Art NOW's 2010 Exhibition in Print.

Meredith 2010 23" x 7" Tempered glass, bark, mixed media.

Photograph by Douglas Sandberg

Quicksilver Mine Co. is showing Blakeley's latest and one can see how the work has evolved, becoming even more complex and rich. These next two mosaics are so new that they have not been to the professional photographer yet, so we put our iPhone to work on Sunday.

Evelyn 2011 Tempered glass, bark, mixed media

In the detail photograph above, one can see Blakeley's genius with color and texture at work; the artist creates whole worlds to explore.

Born Free 2012 Tempered glass, wood, mixed media

Of the "Bark Series Blakeley" says

As an artist, I can't compete with nature–merely pay my respects intuitively. The shapes are gently curved. The outlines are organic, random and totally non-human–delightful boundaries to work into.

Ellen Blakeley (r)

Quicksilver Mine Co. may be off the beaten path, but it is well worth finding. The space is quite beautiful and owner Khysie Horn has assembled an exciting group of Northern California artists. Here are two more pieces from "Bakers Dozen" that almost followed us home.

Fred Fedder Cracked Earth 2010 Beeswax

Susan Field Untitled 2012 Carpet padding, buttons, bells, found objects

As the song goes - sort of - the weather outside might be frightful, but these mosaics are most delightful - and worth the effort. Go.

Enjoy – Nancie

Kate Kerrigan

Urban Scenes

January 19 - February 1, 2012

Focus Gallery 1534 Grant Street San Francisco, CA

(415) 706-0898

Ellen Blakeley

Baker's Dozen

January 20 - February 26, 2012

The Quicksilver Mine Co., Forestville, CA

(707) 887-0799

www.quicksilvermineco.com

February 3rd Deadline for Third Mosaic Art and Architecture Prizes

2012-01-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

This is a quick post to let MAN readers know about the February 3rd deadline for submissions for the Third Prize for Mosaic And Architecture.

The prizes are significant:

Mosaic and Architecture 2012 - 3,000 Euro
Mosaic and Architecture 2012 Religious - 1,000 Euro
Mosaic and Architecture 2012 Private Home - 1,000 Euro

The competition is sponsored by the Province of Pordenone, the Province of Udine, the Municipality of Spilimbergo and Fondazione CRUP.

"The competition aims to find connections between the architectural project and the world of mosaic art and therefore to establish a link, a relationship that has been for centuries principle of complmentarity among the different arts, but that has been neglected since 1960.

The competition intends to offer a Prize for Mosaic Art and Architecture 2012 to an architect or a designer who, in his professional life, used mosaic as an integral part of an architectural work which has been already completed."

As in the past, prizes will be awarded in conjunction with an event called "Tendenza Mosaico" which will be part of the Pordenone Fair. Results of the competition will be published on the Fair's website. Projects considered worthy will be displayed in the pavilions of the Fair from February 15th through February 18th.

A few more specifics:

Participation is free
Individuals or groups both welcome
"The candidates must send the required documentation by registered post in a sealed cover within 3rd February 2012" to an address in Pordenone, Italy.

If you are interested in submitting work, contact:

Paolo Coretti, Architect Udine, Italy
E-Mail studio.corett@tin.it

OR

email me, nancie@mosaicartnow.com and I will forward to you a PDF of the prospectus. Please be aware that I know nothing more than this about the competition and will not be able to answer any questions. If you are serious about submitting, Mr. Coretti is your information source.

Many thanks to Daniel Torcellini of the Center for the International Documentation of Mosaics and the International Association for Contemporary Mosaicists (AIMC) for sending this information along to MAN.

To see a 2009 MAN post on this same competition, click here

Good luck! Nancie

Exhibiting Now in Chartres: MOSAÏZM

2012-01-09T23:36:00.000-08:00

Meet the very talented group of young, European mosaic artists known as "Mosaïzm."

Julian Modica Frank Zappa 2009 60 x 60c Smalti

Winner, 2011 Orsoni Prize

We first became acquainted with Mosaïzm in Italy during RavennaMosaico 2011 this past October. During the crush of Notte d'Oro, we met two Mosaizm members - 2011 Orsoni Prize winner Julian Modica and Ruth Minola Scheibler who was showing in the Works of the Word exhibit. Later that same evening we picked up a copy of the collective's book/catalog, Mosaïzm, flipped it open to the Introduction and were immediately engaged:

While words ending in "ism" refers to a belief system, a movement, a philosophical or moral doctrine, Mosaïzm refers to a way of life dominated by mosaic in all its different forms. For us, mosaic is a way to express ourselves, artistically and professionally.

Ruth Minola Scheibler 2009 Nightflight 80 x 25 cm

Smalti, gold, ceramic, coloured mirror.

Everything that we have seen of Mosaizm since then has been equally as articulate, intelligent, innovative, thoughtful and passionate. We are absolutely hooked on their creative energy, artistic excellence and committed solidarity.

Francien Jongsma Jesus 2008 150 x 280 cm

Riverstones, gold smalti, cement.

Mosaïzm began as of a group of friends who graduated from the Scuola Mosaicist del Friuli in Italy between 2001 and 2006. The collective can be characterized as a very tight-knit, philosophically and artistically aligned cadre of professionals that – even with their strong individual artistic voices – have a startlingly cohesive vision of who they are and what they want to achieve. This excerpt from their book could easily be called their Manifesto:

We are part of a new generation of mosaicists that believe in the future of craft.We respect tradition yet strive to innovate. We want to challenge and confront the normal,the accepted and the expected. We want mosaic to travel, grow and be an art form in itselfas well as an applied art.

Seven of the eight members of Mosaïzm are showing now through February 12th in at the Chapelle Saint-Èman Chartres, France in an exhibit organized by Association 3R.

In this article, we'll take a look at the exhibit and briefly introduce each of the artists showing. If you are anywhere close to Chartres, go. If you can't see these works in person, we highly recommend their book which is available for sale online.

All of these very fine mosaics are for sale. If you are interested in purchasing any of them, email this address at any time: mosaizm@mosaizm.com. Someone will get back to you right away.

Melaine Lanoë (France)

Homage A Zao Wou-Ki 2011

65 x 90 cm Ceramics, stones, shells

Like many other Mosaïzm members, Melaine Lanoë is an accomplished restorer of the classical, figurative mosaics made of colored and gold smalti found in the cathedral's of Europe. For her own work, however, she works in the abstract, using organic materials like those found in Homage A Zao Woui-Ki and Contemplation.

I harvest them (materials) from the 'earth's storehouse', choose them carefully for their colour, their shape, their vein , their sheen. I orchestrate them in abstract compositions, creating vibrant surfaces with dancing textures.

Contemplation 2009 121 x 104 cm Ceramic, stone

Anna Rommel (Germany)

In 2009, Ms. Rommel began experimenting on combining mosaics with concrete. We very much like the way she has used concrete as a sort of visual "pun" as the background for Green Fish and Funky Fish.

Green Fish 2009 60 x 65 cm Smalti, concrete.

We also appreciate how these flat, dark matte backgrounds showcase her skill at leveraging the reflective properties of the smalti. Here is humor, drama and depth all at the same time. Charming.

Funky Fish 2009 25 x 50 cm Concrete, stained glass, smalti

Ruth Minola Scheibler (Germany)

David Bowie 2011 40 x 40 cm Smalti, concrete

Ruth Minola Scheibler has used an extremely effective minimalist approach in this portrait of David Bowie. It captures the performer during his "Berlin era" – that period of time when he literally cleaned up his act, giving up the self-destructive Ziggy Stardust persona to save his career and his life.

Nightflight 2009 80 x 25 cm Smalti, gold, ceramic, coloured mirror.

The artist also has a great affinity for the creatures of the earth and that shines in Nightflight and a number of other works.

I want to transport my affection and curiosity towards biodiversity and its behavior, like a snap-shot of my time, my planet and the culture I am part of, like a snap-shot of life.

Marie-Laure Besson (France)

Fragment 1 2011 148 x 26 x 3.5 cm Pebbles, gold smalti, semi-precious stones

Marie-Laure Besson's work beguiles us with her selection of materials and shapes. Fragment 1 shimmers and shivers on the wall, while Fragments IV-1 appears a portal into an orderly cosmos.

Fragments IV-1 2011 39 x 22 x 3 cm Pebbles

Being a mosaic artist nowadays and trying to life from one's art is like swimming against the tide in this high-speed society.

Julian Modica (Germany)

Julian Modica's work is unique. Very unique. In both his portraits and his abstracts, Modica employs a two-on-two tesserae pattern that we haven't seen anywhere else.

Frank Zappa 2009 60 x 60c Smalti

Winner, 2011 Orsoni Prize

. . . an ancient Roman floor pattern gave me the inspiration to create the basis for many of my recent pieces. It is a simple four-stone combination, dating to the 2nd century b.C. that I apply with as many colors and as many combinations as my brain can handle.

M 2009 156 x 103 cm Smalti

We find it hard to get our brains around both Modica's use of his signature design element and his astonishing use of color.

Matko Kezele (Croatia)

We are especially fond of Matko Kezele's small, intimate portrait of German cabaret star Marya Delvard. The weathered wood of the frame references a star's aging glamor. Is this a mirror image we see? Are those her earrings?

Marya Delvard 2009 18.5 x 23 cm Smalti, glass, marble, mirror, murrine

Ink 2011 45 x 45 cm Stained glass, concrete

Kezele has devoted a great part of the past seven years of his life to promoting mosaic art in his native Croatia, creating events, exhibits and classes that have brought the art form to thousands. Remember that Manifesto? Kezele is living it.

Francien Jongsma (Netherlands)

Francien Jongsma's Jesus is a gentle presence made of stone. Jongsma uses negative space to create an ethereal portrait with eyes that draw one in.

Jesus 2008 150 x 280 cm

Riverstones, gold smalti, cement

As a counterpoint to this masterwork in Chartres, Jongsma is also showing a series of small, joyful mosaics that are based on the drawings of children. Delighful.

Simone 2010 31 x 31 cm Natural stone, gold smalti

As we said at the beginning of this article, we highly recommend a trip to Chartres to see this exhibit. The works we have shown here are but a very small portion of the entire show.

In her artist statement in the book Mosaïzm, Francien Jongsma captures the spirit of the collective and what it means to her as an artist . . .

Being part of Mosaïzm means being able to work with different people in different countries on different projects in an atmosphere of joy, respect and friendship. Thanks to the ongoing process of mutual inspiration and the exchange of our personal experiences, I continue to grow and develop more and more towards becoming an all around mosaicist.

Again, all of these very fine mosaics are for sale. If you are interested in purchasing any of them, email this address at any time: mosaizm@mosaizm.com. Someone will get back to you right away. If a mosaic isn't in your immediate future, then buy do buy the book. You won't be sorry.

Enjoy – Nancie

More

Mosaïzm
To order Mosaïzm the book click here
Exhibit information here
Marie-Laure Besson
Francien Jongsma
Matko Kezele
Melaine Lanoe
Julian Modica
Anna Rommel
Ruth Minola Scheibler
Mosaïzm's eighth member, Andrea Besana

Photos courtesy of the artists

MAN's Top 10 for 2011: Our Most Visited Articles

2011-12-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

Since we're in the middle of creating the "New MAN", looking back at what you liked best (how many times an article was viewed on Blogspot) in 2011 is an especially useful exercise. The results were both surprising and not-so-surprising. It would be wonderful to hear what you think about the past year on MAN, so if you have a moment, please let us know what was most valuable to you on MAN this past year by leaving a comment. Don't forget to click to enlarge these photos.

Number 10 – Bernice Steinbaum's Exhibition in Print

Portrait by Liam Crotty

This article showcased one work by each of the five mosaic artists selected by the esteemed gallerist (and fashionista) Bernice Steinbaum for MAN's 2011 Exhibition in Print. She also provided us with comments on each artist and thoughts about the art world in general which made for some very interesting reading:

The art world is an imperfect place. Museums exhibit artwork; art periodicals critique it; collectors collect it; critics criticize it; auction houses provide a secondary market for it; and commercial galleries supply a retail mechanism. It is an arcane and elitist system of interlocking patronage that has not changed in the past one hundred years.

Luca Barberini Folla (Crowd) 120 x 250 x 4 cm. Glass smalti and marble

Artists you'll see in this article include Luca Barberini (Italy), Ms. Steinbaum's pick for Best in Show Artist, Jo Braun (USA), Lilian Broca (Canada), Lynn Chinn (USA) and Mona Magdi Kenawy (Egypt).

If you are interested in seeing the complete 2011 Exhibition in Print sponsored by LATICRETE featuring three works and artist statements from each of the eight selected artists plus additional articles about contemporary mosaics, you can order the magazine here. And yes, this is a shameless plug on behalf of publisher Michael Welch.

Number 9 – Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings' Exhibition in Print

This article covered the selections of our second set of judges for the Exhibition in Print–the seriously dynamic duo of Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings. Biggs is an internationally shown and beloved mosaic artist, teacher and author. Her husband, Matthew Collings is an art critic and painter well known in the UK for his books and movies which have appeared on the BBC2. Together, they make beautiful paintings. See their work here.

Like Ms. Steinbaum, these judges supplied us with interesting commentary about how they made their selections including this excerpt:

Effective image making is an enquiry, often experimental. It could result in a humorous or ironic proposal. It could be deeply serious. It is possible to combine humour and serious intent. For MAN's Exhibition in Print, Matthew and I selected work we felt was genuinely exploratory, in which the outcome of the experiment was unknown to the maker when he or she began.

Jo Braun Mosaic Without Any Tesserae 56 x 39 x 1 in.

Remnant thin set and cement pigment on hand-formed cement panel.

Biggs & Collings' selections included their Best in Show Artist Jo Braun, CaCO3 (Italy), Cynthia Fisher (USA), Mona Magdi Kenawy (Egypt) and Ilana Shafir (Israel).

Haven't ordered the magazine yet? There's a site for that here.

Number 8 – Ilana Shafir Honored with Solo Exhibition at RavennaMosaico 2011

Birds in the Garden 2010 60 x 80 cm

Apparently, you all love Ilana Shafir's work as much as we do. This article showcased all the work shown in Ommagio a Ilana Shafir during the international contemporary mosaic festival RavennaMosaico.

Number 7 – Riding the Peacock: Sara Baldwin and New Ravenna

We're not surprised that this interview with Sara Baldwin, founder of New Ravenna Mosaics, was such a favorite. Her joie de vivre and commitment to "Anything is possible!" is contagious. Baldwin is also an excellent mosaic designer and entrepreneur, making beautiful artisanal mosaics in the United States when many competitors are sending work off-shore.

Number 6 – My Art Is A Burning Fire In My Heart: John Botica's Magnificent Pebble Mosaics

This two-part profile of New Zealand pebble mosaicist John Botica left many of you in awe–as well it should have. Not only is his work technically exquisite and visually stunning, he has been successful in authentically tapping into the spirit of Maori people whose tribal mythology serves as the subject matter for the majority of his work. See Part 1 here and Part 2 here

We are grateful to fellow New Zealander and mosaic artist Con Kiernan for his collaboration in making this article happen on MAN.

Number 5 – The Mosaic Skulls of Andres Basurto

Whiskey and Soda, 2010

Broken bottles and epoxy putty. 7 x 8 x 6 in

Image: Courtesy of Lyons Wier Gallery, New York

Internet sleuthing turned up an exhibit in New York featuring the work of Mexican born artist Andres Basurto. Constructed of shards from glass bottles that at one time held wine and beer, Basurto creates "specific shapes that evoke the human skull and skeleton as a container of the soul." This MAN article attracted many first-time visitors which is very, very encouraging.

Number 4 – Splendor in Mosaic: Carole Choucair Oueijan's The Emigrant Trail

In 2009, Carole Choucair Oueijan was commissioned by the City of Temecula, CA to create a 7 x 10 foot mosaic for their new 95,000 sq ft, $73 million dollar City Hall. Her spectacular Emigrant Trail, designed to commemorate the City's rich history as a gateway to The West, was unveiled to the public on December 9th of 2010.

We don't often do "how to" articles here on MAN, but Ouiejan had done such a spectacular job of chronicling the her "trail" in the making of this extraordinary mosaic we proudly covered it here. We would happily do it again on MAN with the right project, but you have to admit, Ouiejan will be a tough act to follow.

Number 3 – Let The Bidding Begin! Doctors Without Borders Mosaic Auction Opens Today

Le Rouge et le Noir Francoise Moulet (France)

8 x 8 inches Mexican, Venetian and French Albertini smalti

We love it that this article had such a large response. This online auction of over original 125 mosaics was spawned in the brilliant mind of Lin Schorr of Lin Schorr Mixed Mosaics. We took a walk through the online exhibit and selected nine works to comment on by artists Isabelle de Sa Moreira (France), Kelly Knickerbocker (USA), Helen Nock (UK), Ayka Bumin (Turkey), Carol Shelkin (USA), Luz Mack-Durini (USA), and Flair Robinson.

Number 2 – SAMA's Best: Mosaic Arts International 2011

Best In Show

Great Red Spot, 2010 Yulia Hanansen 36" x 56" Stained glass

Our review of the winners of the Mosaic Arts International 2011 was our second most popular article and one of the most rewarding to write. This exhibit was The Society of American Mosaic Artist's (SAMA's) best to date with interesting work in an excellent venue, the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) in Austin, Texas.

Photo courtesy Ed Kinsella

The mosaics selected serve as excellent ambassadors for the art form. Kudos to jurors JeanAnn Dabb, Professor of Art History at the University of Mary Washington, Nola Diamantopoulos, President of the Mosaic Art Association of Australia, and Jean Graham of Austin Art in Public Places for a job extremely well done. With 42 works, this show is smaller than past MAIs. However, what was lost in numbers was certainly gained in the quality of the exhibit.

Best Two-Dimensional

Evanescence, 2010 Sophie Drouin 24" x 30" x 9"

Marble, gold, dichroic glass Blenko slag and glass, smalti, granite, slate, snowflake obsidian, tourmaline and stybnite.

Additional work featured in this article was by winners Julie Richey, Kimberly Schonfeld, Laurel True, Lenni Gilbert, Drucilla Perez-Tubens, and Michael Kruzich

Number 1 – A Bright Moment for Mosaics: Judy Chicago to Write Foreword for Book on Broca's Queen Esther Series

Judy Chicago (American b. 1939) The Dinner Party 1974-79 Ceramic, porcelain, textile. 576 x 576 in.

Permanently installed in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum

By far and away the most viewed MAN article for 2011 was this one announcing Judy Chicago's participation in a book about a series of mosaics by artist Lilian Broca. Why? Because The Power of Google is a wonderful thing. And, because Broca's art sparked the interest of a feminist art icon over 7,000 people who probably have never considered contemporary mosaics in the context of the larger art world landed here on a website devoted to them. We hope they stuck around for more . . .

And, we hope you will stick around for more in 2012. In these 10 posts alone, we covered the work of 31 mosaic artists and we're proud of that. Our sincere thanks to all of the artists, photographers and writers who contributed to MAN in 2011. Here's wishing us all a healthy, happy and art-filled 2012.

Again, if you have a moment, we would appreciate hearing what you found most valuable here in 2011. Please leave a comment.

One more thing before 2011 slips away . . . Let's keep the numbers growing and spread the contemporary mosaic love even further. Please consider forwarding this post or any of the articles noted here on to someone you think should know more about this art form.

Cheers! Nancie

Bernice Steinbaum's Exhibition in Print here
Emma Biggs & Matthew Collings' Exhibition in Print here
Ilana Shafir Honored with Solo Exhibition at RavennaMosaico 2011 here
Riding the Peacock: Sara Baldwin and New Ravenna here
My Art Is A Burning Fire In My Heart: John Botica Part 1 here
My Art Is A Burning Fire In My Heart: John Botica Part Two here
The Mosaic Skulls of Andres Basurto here
Splendor in Mosaic: Carole Choucair Oueijan's The Emigrant Trail here
Let The Bidding Begin! Doctors Without Borders mosaic Auction Opens Today here
SAMA's Best: Mosaic Arts International 2011 here
A Bright Moment for Mosaics: Judy Chicago to Write Foreward for Book on Broca's Queen Esther Series here

Holiday Wishes From Mosaic Art NOW (MAN)

2011-12-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

This one is for you – The Creators, The Dreamers, The Makers, The Innovators, The Collectors, The Designers, The Goers, The Scholars, The Curious, The Lovers, The Clickers, The Likers, The Commenters, The Sharers – The Reason Why MAN exists.

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

All the best for a splendid holiday season, however you celebrate. Our thanks to you for your continued contributions to the Family of MAN.

Enjoy – Nancie

PS Our thanks to Maureen Doallas of http://writingwithoutpaper.blogspot.com who is All of the Above.

Move Over! Think! Act! Be Free! Motus: A Mosaic Exhibit by Mexican Artist Aida Valencia

2011-12-17T18:09:00.000-08:00

It is a snake, that timeless symbol of power, resurrection and rebirth that has center stage position on the title panel for Aida Valencia's current exhibit at the Institute for Culture in Tijuana, Mexico.

Renacer (Reborn) 2011 24"w Cactus wood, smalti, gold smalti, recycled glass

Entitled Renacer (Reborn) this reptile serves as a perfect introduction to this collection of works that is all about how human beings chose to respond to what Valencia says is the forward movement of mankind in the universe. The word motus is Latin for "motion" and here the word serves as Valencia's manifesto to "Move over! Think! Act! Be free! Live life! Say good bye to routine!"

The mosaic Renacer is also Valencia as artist in a nutshell. Here are the vibrant colors of her Mexican cultural heritage combined with her signature youthful exuberance and the thoughtful use of organic elements in telling a visual story. Says the artist:

The gold, red and amber colors are very important because the red is fire, the amber is love and the gold is the light we need to force our light and love to do everything!

While it would be easy to credit Renancer as Valencia's homage to the iconic two-headed Aztec serpent of her cultural heritage (both are intricately tiled representations of a snake on a wood base) . . .

via Mexicolore.co.uk

. . . we think that would be a mistake. Valencia's serpent is all about her muse motus. Renancer is a great mascot for the artful playground that Valencia has created at the Institute of Culture where exhibit goers are invited to shed their every day lives–or skins–to move forward and live life to its fullest and in doing so, make the world a better place.. Here is how Valencia speaks of her inspiration for the exhibit:

The day of the opening, November 11, 2011 was for some one of the important days of humanity. We have the opportunity to change the course of our world. All around the world, people prayed and united to embrace the light of the dawn on that special day.

Cielo Rojo (Red Sky) 8' x 6' Aluminum, recycled aluminum cans, smalti, transmission motor

Photo courtesy Patty Roa

Suspended from the ceiling, the kinetic sculpture Cielo Rojo (above) does appear to dominate the exhibit space. Valencia designed this piece so that as the aluminum "waves" move up and down, the smalti-covered discs dangling from them capture to the light.

Of this work, Valencia says:

I wanted the spectator to change their point of view of looking at my work by forcing them to look up. The movement of the piece is how mankind moves with the flow. Red is the heart of Humanity that can change everything!

The diptych Equilibrio (Equilibrium) is a very literal take on Valencia's theme of motion and finding balance in one's life.

Equilibrio (Equilibrium), 2011 2'w x 3'h Stained glass, newspaper

This piece represents the balance we need between our Soul and our Body. On one side it says, "Todo el poder" or "All the power." On the other, it says "Sabiduria" which means "Wisdom." So, to have power, you need wisdom, but nothing comes of either Power or Wisdome if you don't have balance in your life.

While another diptych, Vital, uses color and form to indicate what spiritual balance can look like.

Vital (Vital) 2011, 36"w x 72"h. Smalti, stained glass, vitreous glass

In a third diptych, Creación Cosmica (Cosmic Creation) Valencia takes a look at the movement of the cosmos.

Creación Cosmica (Cosmic Creation), 2011 8'w x 4'h Stained glass, smalti, natural stones.

Judging strictly just the photos, we'd have to say that this is our favorite work in the show. We like Valencia's vision of an undulating, textured Milky Way against a stacatto inky black void.

Her circular smalti stars and planets are carried on a river of precisely cut white stained glass placed on a rippling surface.

These circles of smalti are a recurring element in many of the pieces in this exhibit, including Cielo Rojo above. Valencia says this about her vision for this work:

Cosmic Creation is the beginning of the Earth as we know it, The lighted piece represents the planet and how mankinds's activities make it special in the universe.

While the lighted stone could be dismissed as a gimmick, it works for us here. Valencia's Earth is brightly alive with all of mankind's activities – a major theme throughout the exhibit. Valencia has also placed a nice visual counterbalance to the Earth stone with the crystal to be found in the lower right hand corner of the right panel.

There are many more works in this exhibit, including several that invite the gallery goer to initiate some "movement" of their own.

Photo courtesy Patty Roa

In "Motus", it is abundantly clear that Valencia passionately believes in the ability of mankind to transform everything around us into something better. What a lovely, lovely Muse to follow.

Enjoy – Nancie

All photography by Alberto Pickering Brunel

"Motus" November 11, 2011 - January 30, 2012

Institute of Culture, Tijuana Mexico

Aida Valencia:

Aida Valencia

Casa Valencia

An American in Ravenna: George Fishman Audio Interview with GAEM Winner Samantha Holmes

2011-12-09T08:55:00.001-08:00

The mosaic above, Unspoken 10.22.10 - 07.07.11 by Samantha Holmes caused a bit of a stir here at MAN when we covered it as one of the winners of Ravenna's Young Artists and Mosaic (GAEM) competition at the Art Museum of Ravenna in our November 18th feature: "Rewarding Innovation in Contemporary Mosaics."

Holmes' work won the award for Use of Unconventional Materials and Techniques and unconventional it is – much to the consternation of several good friends. By golly, they said, that's no mosaic. Well, let's revisit the description of the work from the GAEM catalog curated by Linda Kniffitz, curator of the International Center for the Documentation of Mosaic.

Unspoken 10.22.10 - 07.07.11 is essentially a wooden (smalti) sample board for mosaicists, but instead of samples of coloured glass, its ledges house sheets of printed or hand-written paper, folded and fastened with a piece of knotted wire.

Photos courtesy of the artist

The sheets are laid alongside each other in horizontal sequences reminiscent of the arrangement of tesserae in the andamento of a mosaic. The work has strong conceptual value, the sheets represent the flows of communication that failed or were interrupted due to the New York artist's linguistic difficulties during her initial period in Italy.

We do hope you will go to the previous post to read Ms. Holmes explanation of Unspoken but - the operative word in Ms. Kniffitz' catalog description is"conceptual."

Ravenna–the Mother Ship of Mosaic with a curatorial devotion to it's 5th century Byzantine gems and a strict, educational commitment to the grammar and technology of mosaic traditions–is equally devoted to innovation in mosaic. The GAEM competition brief gave mosaicists absolute licence to explore, play and expand upon mosaic traditions and concepts. Which is exactly what Ms. Holmes did and why she won the prize she did.

All right. Enough of the Is-It-Or-Isn't-It-Mosaic debate. Frankly, we're tired of it–probably because we can't seem to find a definition that we're comfortable with–absolutes being contrary to our nature.

More important to us is the Is-It-Or-Isn't-It-Good-Art question. Innovation for innovation's sake is easy. What set Ms. Holmes work apart for the GAEM jurors was her use of the concepts and traditions of the mosaic medium in a visual representation of the challenges and frustrations she faced while trying to communicate in her new home.

Thanks to the generous George Fishman of the Mosaic of Art, you can now hear Ms. Holmes herself talk about her artistic journey to Ravenna and her personal exploration of what "home" really is through the medium of mosaic. The expat/art nomad is thoughtful, eloquent, and inspiring.

Click here and you will be able to hear the interview at the same time you view the photos.

Mobile Home (Moscow)

Rain (Greenpoint)

Rain II (Greenpoint)

Again, our thanks to George Fishman for allowing us to publish the interview. We're looking forward to the return of The Mosaic of Art!

Enjoy – Nancie

Previous MAN Post "Rewarding Innovation in Contemporary Mosaics: Winners of Ravenna's Young Artists & Mosaic Awards" with Ms. Holmes discussion of Unspoken here
Ms. Holmes does not have a website, but can be found on Facebook
Art Museum of Ravenna (MAR) here
RavennaMosaico 2011 here

GrrlScientist Explores The Museum Below: The Mosaics of NYC's 81st Street Station

2011-12-05T10:33:00.001-08:00

Latimeria species, the legendary coelacanth, a living fossil

You may not know this, but there are actually two American Museums of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. There is the one hiding in plain sight at the corner of 79th and Central Park West.

And then, there is the second AMNH, the one buried deep in the earth directly beneath the museum – an extensive collection of mosaics and reliefs that cover the walls, stairwells, and floors in the 81st Street Subway Station. For Want of a Nail (2000) was a collaborative effort between MTA Arts for Transit and AMNH designed to mimic the key disciplines explored in the museum above. The title refers to an old proverb that speaks to how small actions can have large consequences – like the loss of a species.

A California quail, Callipepla californica,
with the shadow of a pigeon (passenger pigeon?) behind it,

It happened that a young woman (who goes by the pseudonym "GrrlScientist") used the station twice a day on her way to do post doctorate work in ornithology at the museum. On January 1, 2008, beginning with the ceolacanth above, GrrlScientist began posting photos of the mosaic animals on her blog, and, being the good scientist that she is, classifying each of the species for the benefit of the reader. After 89 posts, GrrlScientist had created a wonderful catalog of the intersection between science and art.

We contacted GrrlScientist, who characterizes herself as an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist and writer, to find out more about the project. She very kindly answered all of our questions and gave us permission to repost her photos and captions for you here.

A common basilisk, Basiliscus basiliscus, with the shadow
of Velociraptor spp. in the background

In the mosaic above, you can see how the designers sometimes combined images of living species with their extinct relatives. Other works, like the owl and frog below, are notable for the artists' skill in creating quite life-like mosaics.

We are also struck by the fact that the white, square field tiles also provide a background for the images akin to that of a page in a large-format coffee table book or catalog.

Eastern Screech-Owl, Megascops asio, in flight

I think this is a Leopard frog, Rana pipiens.

We were curious, so we asked GrrlScientist if she carried a camera with her all the time. Her response:

Of course. There's always something to photograph, especially in NYC. Besides, carrying a camera also carries the obligation to actually look around for something to photograph, so it makes me actually pay attention to the world around me instead of just rushing around.

Which is one of the reasons why we are addicted to our new mobile phone.

Ladybugs, Coleoptera species

These ladybugs are an excellent example of how the artists (Arts for Transit Collaborative) turned a design problem – integrating oddly shaped mosaics into a gridded field of white tiles – into an asset. The andamento of the tiles surrounding these insects is designed not just to fill space, but to indicate the movement and connectedness that one sees in a swarm of ladybugs in real life. (And yes, it is a "swarm" These mosaics made us get our science on!)

An alligator, Alligator mississippiensis,
with the shadow of a Stegosaurus behind it

Marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum (left) and
Fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra (right)

GrrlScientist points out that several of the animals have question marks worked into the designs. It is curious.

The tiger beetle, Cicindela formosa

Galapagos giant tortoise, Geochelone elephantopus
(but I am not sure of the subspecies)

Our guess is that the question marks may allude to the fact that these species are on the endangered list – their fate still uncertain.

Another design element in For Want of A Nail is that subjects are often found in likely places, like this garden spider placed up in a corner.

Yellow garden spider, Argiope aurantia, guarding her egg case

And this snake (some kind of boa?) hanging from a signage ledge.

Unknown (to me) species of snake

For Want of A Nail also includes areas devoted to geology and earth sciences. Here, you see a stairwell that GrllScientist calls "A journey to the center of the earth."

A journey to the center of the earth (view 1, uptown stairway)
If you look closely, you can see fossils in the rock layers.

A journey to the center of the earth (view 2, uptown stairway)

When asked which mosaic was her favorite, GrrlScientist told us it is the first one she published, the coealanth. "I think it is just stunning."

We are sad to see a question mark on the coelanth. Maybe, just maybe, subway travelers will be inspired by the beauty in the AMNH station to supply the "nails" that will save a species.

Huge thanks to GrrlScientist for allowing us to publish her photos and captions. We highly recommend that you follow her blog at The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/grrlscientist. She's got a spunky voice that makes science approachable and birds, in particular, fascinating.

Enjoy – Nancie

Resources:

GrrlScientist's "A Brief History of the Subway Tile Art at 81st and CPW (AMNH Station)" post here
Archive of GrrlScientist's AMNH photos here
Jeremy Cox' (aka "Subway Nut") extensive photo catalog of the AMNH station and more MTA art here
MTA's description of For Want of a Nail here
American Museum of Natural History here
"For Want of a Nail" Wikipedia analysis here

Rewarding Innovation in Contemporary Mosaics: Winners of Ravenna's Young Artists & Mosaic Competition

2011-11-18T11:24:00.001-08:00

For us, one of the most exciting events of international festival RavennaMosaico 2011 was the Young Artists and Mosaic (GAEM) exhibition and competition at the Art Museum of Ravenna (MAR). Created specifically to reward "technical and non-conventional use of materials, but in accordance with the constitutive logic and poetic language of mosaic", this group of ten works celebrated Innovation with a capital I. On November 18th, the winners were announced. They are:

Orsoni Award - € 2,000 in materials from Orsoni Veniziani

for The Use of Traditional Materials

CaCO3 (Italy) for Movimento No. 18

Banca Popolare di Ravenna Award - € 2,000

for the Use of Unconventional Technique and Materials

Samantha Holmes (USA) for Unspoken 10.22.10 - 07.07.11

We're going to explore these works more closely and hear what the artists had to say about their creations below, but first we are going to take a little space to talk about what it was like to see the exhibit first-hand. For us, this was a tough show to enjoy. We were alternately flumoxed, dazzled, gobsmacked, and dumbfounded by some of the pieces. We were uncomfortable. And we appreciate that. Our discomfort meant that the curators – a veritable Who's Who of the established Italian mosaic community – did an excellent job of seeking out and presenting innovation and, in doing so, provoked some new thinking for us about the nature of contemporary mosaics.

Our sincere thanks Claudio Spadoni, Director of MAR, Linda Kniffitz, Curator of the Center for the International Documention of Mosaic, Gian Piero Brovedani, Director of the Mosaic School of Friuli (Spilimbergo), Maria Rita Bentini, Coordinator of the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna, Lucio Orsoni, Artist and Director Orsoni Smalti and artist Dusciana Bravura whose selection process gave us so much to chew on.

One more observation: This exhibit was not just about innovation for innovation's sake. Instead, it was about "the indissolubility of the relationship between preservation and innovation" as the Mayor of Ravenna wrote in his foreword for the exhibit catalogue. Innovation was balanced with a reverence for the basic components of design that make the city's Byzantine mosaic treasures so splendid. Ravenna is much, much more than the caretaker/conservator of its Byzantine mosaic treasures. It is quickly becoming an international cultural center for the art form.

Now, let's talk about the winners.

Movimento no. 18, 2011 CaCO3

60 x 90 cm Lime and mortar on Aerolam

Orsoni Award for the Use of Traditional Materials

CaCO3 writes about this work:

This work, produced using nothing but white limestone tesserae cut into long, narrow shapes, features an abstract, optical biomorphism.

Movimento no. 18 is the continuation of an artistic journey that analyzes and investigates the mosaic through its constituting elements and through the extravagantly overstated andamento and inclination of the tesserae.

These are varied, allowing the surface to modulate in powerful curves and in relationships of order and disorder, accentuating flows of tesserae that stand out against a disjointed background.

The tesserae gradually transition between horizontal and vertical, defining delicate chiaroscuro dynamics that modulate the entire surface.

Photos courtesy CaCO3

We recently wrote about CaCO3's installation "Immersion" at the Arian Baptistry - the only RavennaMosaico event to be held in a UNESCO world heritage site. The triumverate of Aniko Ferreira da Silva, Giuseppe Donnaloia and Pavlos Mavromatidis was also selected for Mosaic Art NOW's Exhibition in Print 2011 and their Kelphos No. 1 was chosen as our cover image.

2011 has been a very good year for CaCO3 and we are told that their signature style is already being adapted (adopted?) by others.

Unspoken 10.22.10 - 07.07.10 2011 Samantha Holmes

Paper and iron thread on wood 55 x 55 x 5 cm

Banca Populare di Ravenna Award for Use of Unconventional Technique and Materials

From the catalogue (curated by Lynda Kniffitz):

Unspoken 10.22.10 - 07.07.11 is essentially a wooden sample board for mosacists, but instead of samples of coloured glass, its ledges house sheets of printed or hand-written paper, folded and fastened with a piece of knotted wire.

Photos courtesy of the artist

The sheets are laid alongside each other in horizontal sequences reminiscent of the arrangement of tesserae in the andamento of a mosaic. The work has strong conceptual value, the sheets represent the flows of communication that failed or were interrupted due to the New York artist's linguistic difficulties during her initial period in Italy.

We contacted the artist to learn more about Unspoken. Here is what she told us:

The piece at GAEM, Unspoken, deals with the challenges of self-expression across linguistic and cultural barriers, but also personal ones. Faced with the inability to articulate my thoughts aloud when I first moved to Ravenna, I began writing them down in moments of frustrated expression. Unspoken acts as a bookcase of these unvoiced ideas, thoughts left unsaid during this period of verbal isolation. Written on receipts, train tickets, scraps of paper found in a given moment of reflection, each “tessera” represents a sealed account of an instant in time - folded, sealed with wire, stored away. What is contained within ranges from the mundane to the profoundly intimate, a written record of a private self in a period of transition.

Photo via GAEM catalogue

In personal storytelling, unlike the religious or political thematics traditionally represented in mosaic, there is no common scripture – one cannot simply “read” or recognize the message held within. A tension develops between the public display of the notes and the intimacy of their contents, the desire on the part of the viewer to unfold them and his inability to do so, bound by the conventions of the museum space. The thoughts remain trapped, visible but illegible, suspended between the artist and viewer.

Unspoken 2011

Cement, wood, charred wood 100 x 80 x 6 cm

From Works of the World

Ms. Holmes also showed at AIMC's "Works of the World" exhibit during RavennaMosaico. Italian arts and culture commentator Roderick Conway Morris singled out this second Unspoken in "An Ancient Craft Gets a Bigger World Stage" (New York Times, Oct. 27, 2011):

. . . the minimalist piece “Unspoken,” by Samantha Holmes, consists of small, scorched and carbonized wooden cubes instead of more conventional glass or stone tesserae.

Photos courtesy of the artist

Ms. Holmes is a graduate of the Visual Arts program at Harvard University, studied graphics and digital design at Parsons New School for Design in New York and is currently attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna. Her "cerebral" approach to her self expression in mosaic reminds us of the work of Jo Braun.

Both Movimento no. 18 and Unspoken 10.22.10 - 07.07.10 will be acquired by MAR for their permanent collection. Our congratulations to CaCO3 and Samantha Holmes for this significant recognition of their dedication to the history and future of mosaic art.

Additional works from the GAEM exhibit like

Fall, 2011 Sonya Louro do Rego

Shells and marble on wood and polystyrene 150 x 50 x 25 cm

and more mosaics from RavennaMosaico 2011 can be found in our previous post "A Contemporary Mosaic Moshpit: RavennaMosaico 2011" here.

Enjoy – Nancie

Resources

CaCO3 here

Ms. Holmes does not have a website, but can be found on Facebook

Art Museum of Ravenna (MAR) here

RavennaMosaico 2011 here

"An Ancient Craft Gets a Bigger World Stage" NYTimes here

"Forward Mosaic: Braun, Chinn and Drouin at the Villa Bagatelle in Quebec City" here

Everyone Deserves A Life: Results from the Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure

2011-11-11T09:21:00.001-08:00

On Day Three of the Komen 60 Mile 3 Day Walk for the Cure, I developed the Boobonic Plague. And I was one of the more "sedate" walkers.

Everybody won.

The 2800 Dallas Komen 3-Day Walkers raised $7.1 million to find a cure for breast cancer.

I got a private appointment with Dr. Love.

And, thanks to so many generous MAN followers and friends, I personally raised almost $2,700 to contribute to the cause. My sincere gratitude to all of you who reached into your pockets in these difficult times to help make my minor miracle happen.

Why We Walk: On the morning of Day 3, a major miracle happened. Just when I was bemoaning the blistered state of my feet, the fact that I had had only 3 hours of sleep, and the 45 minute wait for a bus to take me to the next start point – I got an e-mail from a friend in Australia. She is a breast cancer patient who has been through 16 rounds of chemo and radiation in the past several years. Three months ago, she was given a paralyzing prognosis: if the last-ditch drug she was given didn't work, her time on this earth was very short. Her e-mail to me on that morning in Dallas was joyful – her tumors had shrunk.

That is why we walk.

And now, for the announcement of who won the very special bra made by Australian mosaic artist Marian Shapiro . . . .

Karen Thompson of Archetile Mosaics is the lucky winner. I can tell you all, this photo does not do the piece justice. It's a beaut and Marian Shapiro – take a bow.

At closing ceremonies, as I stood amongst the survivors, I looked up and saw the sun breaking through clouds and a flock of geese heading south. I thought of all the people have I loved who couldn't stand in that Survivor Circle including MAN founder Bill Buckingham and the lovely Robin Brett. The Komen folks have a slogan: Everyone deserves a life. Yes, they do.

From my heart to yours – Nancie

An International Contemporary Mosaic Moshpit: RavennaMosaico 2011

2011-11-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Photo via Ravenna24oro.it

What were all of these people celebrating in the streets of Ravenna, Italy on October 8th. A spectacular tomato harvest? A strategic soccer win? The end of Lent? Actually, it was none of the above.

It was art – contemporary mosaic art – that had thousands swarming in and out of museums, libraries, monuments, studios, galleries and retail shops on Notte d'Oro – the opening night of RavennaMosaico 2011. Several friends referred to it as the "Mosaic Moshpit."

RavennaMosaico is an extraordinary, biennial event organized by the International Association of Contemporary Mosaicists (AIMC) and the Comune di Ravenna. This delightful town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Byzantine mosaic treasures, is claiming the right to be seen as the global nexus for contemporary mosaics – and they are doing a great job of it.

Pixel, 2010 Marianna Brambilla

50 x 47 x 50 cm Smalti and vintage television casing.

Mosaic Installations at Old Franciscan Cloisters

Photo via RavennaMosaico

There are exhibits, demonstrations, symposiums and lectures on the "state of the art" throughout the city between now and November 20th. While this is only the second time for the festival, it has already garnered international art press notice.

Diptyque Stalitte, 2010 Henry-Noel Aubrey (France)

80 x 42 x 2 cm and 80 x 40 x 2 cm. Marble

Works of the World at Church of San Domenico
Photo via RavennaMosaico

Just last week, the New York Times and International Herald Tribune carried a review/overview of RavennaMosaico by noted Italian arts and culture commentator Roderick Conway Morris; "An Ancient Craft Gets a Bigger World Stage." (links below)

Manga Medusa, 2005 Helen Bodycomb and Rene Schaefer

50 x 50 cm Marble and smalti

Works From the World

Photo via RavennaMosaico

On the same day, the Times also referenced a mosaic by Lee Krasner in a review of a new exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. We are seeing a growing momentum for contemporary mosaics as an art form that is very exciting.

Surface, 2008 Julian Modica

74 x 74 cm Smalti

Works From the World

Photo via RavennaMosaico

Back to the night in question . . . Notte d'Oro was glorious. It was boisterous. It was inspirational. It was claustrophobic. And we were there – on the third leg of the Mosaic Masterpieces Tour. While we saw much, and missed a great deal, too, in this post, we'll hit on four highlights from our time in Ravenna.

Immersion by CaCO3 at The Arian Baptistry

We are going to be up front and say we are partial to the work of CaCO3, the mosaic triumverate comprised of Pavlos Mavromatidis, Aniko Ferreira da Silva and Guiseppe Donnaloia. The group was selected as one of the eight featured artists in our 2011 Exhibition in Print by Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings. We were excited to see what they had created as the solo installation for the Arian Baptistry, one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ravenna. We were not disappointed.

Immersion, 2011 CaCO3

Limestone, aluminium.

It's a towel. A marble towel hanging from an aluminum towel rod.

A little history about the Arian Baptistry: Theodoric the Great commissioned this building in the late 5th Century for the Arians. Now, the Arians had a very different take on the concept of Christ than did the Catholics of Justinian who eventually wrested Ravenna away from Theodoric. Arians believed the son was not fully God or part of the Holy Trinity. They saw him as more human than divine. Which is what makes the mosaic in this baptistry so special. This figure of Christ is pale, almost timid. His genitalia beneath the water is exposed for all to see. The word "vulnerable" comes to mind immediately.

This is the aspect of the mosaic – Jesus, nude, immersed to the waist in the River Jordan – that CaCO3 chose to focus on in designing for this splendid site. From the Artists' Statement:

We (CaCO3) wanted to insert an element into the site which by its nature would interact with the building in two ways; First, materially through the use of mosaic and second, conceptually through a clear connection between our new element and the narrative and purpose of the baptistry and its ancient mosaics.

Our idea was to place inside the baptistry a towel hanging on a metal structure ready to receive the man Jesus – not so very different than any who was in this building to be baptized – as he emerged from the River Jordan in need of warmth and covering. We imagined a sheet of white linen whose woof is made apparent through the use of small, individual tesserae of white limestone (CaCO3).

Photos CaCO3

Simple. Elegant. Beautiful. Reverant of the spirit, faith and history of the place in which it resides. For us, Immersion was one of those art moments where we looked at what is in front of us, thought "Of course" and were silenced with the perfection of it. So satisfying. Immersion is the only RavennaMosaico installation to be found in a UNESCO World Heritage site. We are certain that the Superintendency for Architectural Heritage and Landscape of Ravenna, who gave permission for CaCO3 to execute the project, must be very pleased with the results.

After Notte de Oro, we were fortunate enough to arrange for a private viewing of Immersion and have CaCO3 on hand to talk about the piece, their inspiration and how they work together. Later, we repaired to a local bar where beer proved to be the perfect antidote to language barriers.

(Left to right) American mosaic artist/author/teacher Sonia King, British artist/commentator/historian/Exhibition in Print Juror Matthew Collings, British artist/author/teacher/Exhibition in Print Juror Emma Biggs, MAN Editor Nancie Mills Pipgras, and CaCO3

(Left to right) CaCO3, Aniko Ferreira da Silva, Pavlos Mavromitidis and Giuseppe Donnaloia

Photos Lillian Sizemore

Bibliomosaico: Artistic Books in Mosaic Tiles

Pinocchi, (outside) 2011 Verdiano Marzi

Marble, smalti

On Notte d' Oro, Pavlos Mavromitidis squired us through the crowds to Girasole Publishers, a small shop in Ravenna, where we were able to have a private viewing of Bibliomosaico before it opened to the public. We were captivated by the exhibit.

Pinocchi (inside)

Sprinkled throughout the clean, well lit shop were small works created by mosaic artists on the theme of books. Notes from the catalogue:

The BIBLIOMOSAICO exhibition was conceived by Rosetta Berardi in 2009 with the intention of stimulating thought on the form of the book, on the representation of a "book object" which is to be looked at and not read, a book which is not a book but a "book object", a book which although having lost its content of words has obtained its specific conceptual meaning of an open work. It is not a book which becomes a work of art but a work of art that becomes or recalls a book.

Some of the pieces here were mini-masterworks that clearly referred to the book as object. Examples included the mosaics by Verdiano Marzi (above), Toyoharu Kii and Atsuo Suzumura (below). Like visual flypaper, these mosaics pulled us in for long, lingering studies.

Toyoharu Kii, 2009

Photo courtesy of Rosetta Berardi

Atsuo Suzumura

Photo courtesy of Rosetta Berardi

Others, like the work below by Silvia Naddeo, required an investigation of a different sort.

Storria di una Zucchina, 2009 Silvia Naddeo
Photos courtesy George Fishman

At first look, this mosaic made us scratch our heads a bit while trying to find the "book" in it. Then we looked closer and saw the life of a zucchini artfully captured in the hand hand-painted ceramic discs at the center of each slice. Of course.

Raniero Bittante's Bubble Gum Italia was composed of three copies of the Italian constitution encrusted with red, white and green smalti adhered with used wads of the stuff accompanied by a video of Italians blowing bubbles.

Photos George Fishman

This work turned out to be far more literal than we thought at first glance. Bittante is reflecting on the 150 years of Italy's political unity in a purely mosaic sense – each individual, regardless of race or ethnicity, is part of the whole – like the tesserae of a mosaic. Bubble gum as the "mortar" or glue that holds it together? Of course. Just think of the DNA contained in a wad of used bubble gum. Brilliant. To see the entire video, click here.

International Young Artists and Mosaic Award Exhibition (GAEM) at City Art Museum of Ravenna (MAR)

This exhibit, the only one that is a competition during RavennaMosaico, is devoted to young artists who are pushing the boundaries of mosaic. A jury comprised of representatives from the City, the City Art Museum and the Center for the International Documentation of Mosaics selected the 10 works shown here.

We had our favorites, like Fall (below) by Sonya Louro Do Rego.

120 x 80 cm Seashells and marble.

Andamento, interstice, reflection, relief - all of the classic components of mosaics practiced by the Byzantines are found in this mosaic - but the imagery here is fresh and exciting. Lunar landscape? Hide of a sturgeon? No matter. The rhythm is enough to carry one away. Lyrical.

Another favorite was Instinto by Takako Hirai.

This small mosaic holds a secret. There is a micro-mosaic figure lifting his/her arms towards the "tree" in the center.

Here, there is mosaic story telling and, to our eyes, there might not be a happy ending in these woods. Through use of color and rough textures Hirai has created a feeling of "menace" within the piece.

Luca Barberini showed his usual mosaic exuberance and sense of humor with Bone Flowers.

Ana Foncerrada with Bone Flowers, 2011

360 x 125 cm Smalti on wood

We would venture that the dimensions of this mosaic are no mistake. Barberini's skeleton of smalti – the material of Ravenna's Byzantine masters – appears to be holding up the exhibit space. We see Barberini saying, "On this glass was Ravenna's reputation built and things haven't changed much in the past 1600 years."

On November 18th, prizes will be awarded to two of the works in this exhibit thanks to the sponsorship of Orsoni Smalti Veneziani (a long-time Friend of MAN) and the Banca Popolare di Ravenna. We will try to bring you the winners.

Tribute to Ilana Shafir at Classense Library

Israeli artist Ilana Shafir is a contemporary mosaic legend. We covered this show, the only solo exhibit at RavennaMosaico 2011, in a MAN post this past September.

Cosmic Collision, 2005 60 x 63 cm
Collection of Laura Gavioli

Photos Giora Shafir

Ilana Shafir with Cosmic Collision

Photo Lillian Sizemore

It was nothing short of thrilling to be at the opening of the exhibit to see all of the mosaics – and the artist – in person.

Birds In The Garden, 2010 60 x 80 cm

Photos Giora Shafir

Mosaic Art NOW Publisher Michael Welch with Birds in the Garden

Peacocks, 2007 126 x 121 cm

Shining Star, 2010 60 x 80 cm

Like the star that she is, Shafir was the center of all on Notte d'Oro, attracting fond wishes and heartfelt gratitude from everyone. Including us.

Photo George Fishman

BRAVO! to AIMC and the Comune di Ravenna for wonderful event. And to the hundreds of artists who contributed the time, the energy and the art that so enriched and inspired all of us – Grazie. Mille grazie.

Enjoy – Nancie

Our sincere thanks to all who contributed photographs to this post. Where not otherwise noted, photos are by the author.

RESOURCES

Ravenna Mosaico 2011 website
AIMC website
"An Ancient Craft Gets a Bigger World Stage" New York Times, October 27, 2011
"Hewn, Spun, Joined, Sandwiched, Cemented" A review of Crafting Modernism at the Museum of Art and Design New York Times October 27, 2011
Roderick Conway Morris website
MAR, The Ravenna City Museum website

ARTISTS

Helen Bodycomb website
Henry-Noel Aubry website
Julian Modica website
CaCO3 website
Toyoharu Kii here
Silvia Naddeo website
Ranier Bittante here
Takako Hirai photos
Sonya Louro do Rego website
Luca Barberini website

Previous MAN Posts about the ARTISTS

Ilana Shafir Honored with Solo Exhibition At Ravenna Mosaico 2011 here
Verdiano Marzi: A European Master Teaches in the US here
Luca Barberini: Bernice Steinbaum's Exhibition in Print Best in Show here
CaCO3: Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings Exhibition in Print here

Magical Thinking in Mosaic: Tres Milagros at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center in Dallas

2011-10-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hungry for Gold, 2011 Apryl Begay

10.5" x 10.5" x 4.25" Glazed porcelain, vitreous glass, art glass, unglazed porcelain, 24K gold smalti, millefiori, carpet tacks, leg milagros, heart milagro.

Photo Rebecca Collins

On November 1st and 2nd, Mexico celebrates La Dia de Los Muertos – The Day of the Dead – a time when families exuberantly celebrate relatives and loved ones who have passed away. Vibrantly colored temporary alters are erected in living rooms, smiling sugar skulls leer from shop windows and bouquets of marigolds festoon grave sites where groups gather to picnic and remember.

The Mexican culture also embraces the Hispanic tradition of milagros, small, metal or wax religious charms that are often attached to statues of saints as offerings or carried in a pocket for good luck. The shape of a milagro refers to what divine assistance is requested for; body parts relate to health issues – a silver plane is likely a request for a safe journey. Once purchased, each small figure becomes instantly imbued with a very personal story.

Currently on view at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center in Dallas, Texas is the exhibit Tres Milagros featuring work inspired by these amulets by artists April Begay, Rebecca Collins and Katrina Doran. The works here tell many stories.

Sweet Honey Milagro, 2011 Katrina Doran

6" x 3" x 1.5" Porcelain doll arm, costume jewelry, iridized glass, cotton thread

Photo Rebecca Collins

From the Artists' Statement for the exhibit:

The works are a study of symbolic imagery, an inquiry into the meanings made of things, and an honoring of a creative cultural heritage where art and prayer meet.

Strength to Strength, 2011 Rebecca Collins

11" x 14" x 2" Glass, hematite, porcelain doll leg, unglazed porcelain, ink, paper, paint.

Photo Katrina Doran

The majority of the mosaics are fairly small, but, like their inspiration, pack a heavy visual punch when one moves in for a closer look.

Also evident is the refreshing authenticity with which the three women approached a subject matter that is often taken to an almost obscene level of kitsch. These artists thought about what they were doing, searching their lives and faiths to create stories of their own in mosaic.

There is magic, here.

Noli Me Tangere, 2011 Katrina Doran
12.5" x 10" x 4.5" Internal organs milagro, glass beads, carpet tacks, 24K gold glass
Photo Katrina Doran

Noli Me Tangere by Katrina Doran drew us in initially for its contradictory components. Doran has created a sculptural milagro in the shape of a (lethal?) heart which, in turn, shelters a tiny internal organ milagro at the center. Doran told us the story behind the work:

Noli me tangere or "You can not touch me" is what Christ said to Mary Magdalene after he rose from the dead, his body no longer in the cave where they had placed him to rest.

While preparing for this show, I fell ill with internal organ issues that resulted in the loss of quite a lot of blood. At the same time, a favorite cousin was diagnosed with stage 4 uterine cancer and an uncle was having trouble with his appendix. My cousin's faith in Jesus is strong and she completely trusted that he would heal her. This impressed me very much.

My version of faith is to wrap myself in love, to surrender to something that cannot be held or touched and to trust that all will be well. The tacks represent my need to protect myself when the loss of blood made me feel so incredibly vulnerable. When at my worst, I imagined myself sitting in a heart-shaped cave like this one where nothing could touch me. In there I would be safe and well.

By the opening of the show, all my test results came back clear; my cousin continues to have good test results and my uncle's doctors can not find anything wrong with him. I find this mysterious.

Heart Milagro, 2011 Rebecca Collins

10" x 10" x 2" Stained glass, unglazed porcelain, carpet tacks, Van Gogh glass, colored gold, hematite, millefiori, ink, paint, paper.

Photo Rebecca Collins

Rebecca Collins tells her stories quite literally on the face of her mosaics. She employs a technique that enables the viewer to see selected printed words or phrases and her water color paintings and drawings through the multi-colored stained glass she applies on top. Collins tells us that the inspiration for Heart Milagro came from her concern for a much-loved friend.

When we first approached the Tres Milagros project, I knew I wanted to do a heart milagro that would be a prayer for a very dear friend of mine who battles depression and has led a very secluded, solitary life. I initially thought I wanted to make something that would help to open up her heart and then I realized that it was my own heart that needed to open so that I could be a better, more accepting friend.

The thought of creating a mosaic that would speak to all of this was too big in my brain and so I postponed doing the heart milagro. Finally, with just a few weeks left before the exhibit opening, out of the blue new friend gave me a heart milagro. That symmetry – a new friend helping me with a project that was a prayer for one of my oldest fiends – inspired me to begin this piece.

Quetzacoatl - Dreaming of Legs, 2011 Apryl Begay

9.5" x 3.5" x 2.5" Porcelain doll leg, unglazed porcelain, millefiori

Photo Rebecca Collins

We applaud Apryl Begay's Quetzacoatl - Dreaming of Legs for its incorporation of a Mesoamerican deity (also called The Feathered Serpent) into a child-sized, quintessentially Catholic milagro. The imagery is clear and striking and captures much of the Mexican spirit for millennia. Begay says:

As an anthropology major, I have always been interested in symbols and their history. Quetzalcoatl is believed to bridge the space between this physical world and the spiritual world. As I continue down a path of self discovery it becomes more apparent to me that I can attain a quality of peace and joy in this life that can only be compared to heaven. To me, this is the path of the Feathered Serpent, anything can happen here, nothing is outside of the realm of possibilities. A serpent can grow feathers, a serpent can grow legs.

Quetzalcoatl - Dreaming of Legs began as a dream. I woke up one morning, went to my studio and grabbed the porcelain leg I had bought when I heard that our proposal for Tres Milagros had been accepted. I drew the Feathered Serpent on the leg and began nipping tile. I love it when a piece seems to finish itself, as if it is pushing its way into the world through my hands.

We suggest you see Tres Milagros at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center in Dallas, Texas before it closes on November 18th. We are certain that you'll come away with stories of your own.

Enjoy – Nancie

PS Happy Halloween!

RESOURCES

Oak Cliff Cultural Center here
Rebecca Collins website
Katrina Doran website

The Swiffer, The Devil, and Bernini: The Mosaic Masterpieces Tour 2011 Part 2

2011-10-25T14:20:00.000-07:00


Mosaic Art NOW Publisher Michael Welch has a bright idea in Rome.

Allora! In our last post we began a recap of the Mosaic Masterpieces Tour 2011, an incredible journey into all things Italian led by Julie Richey. Today we will spend a little more time in Rome and close environs before training it to Ravenna and Venice.

"The Mermaid" by Marian Shapiro www.dariandesign.com.au Smalti, shell, custom glass fusions, millefiori and hand-dyed silk.

Before we begin, here is another great reason to support our 60 Mile Walk for the Cure in Dallas the first weekend in November. She's called "The Mermaid" and mosaic artist Marian Shapiro has contributed her for a drawing from among the names of our donators to be held on November 10th. We walk. You donate. Cancer loses. It's a beautiful thing. http://www.the3day.org/goto/nanciemillspipgras

More of What We Loved in Rome (and Close Environs)

Mimmo Paladino at the Ara Pacis

Before we begin to rhapsodize on this masterpiece of a contemporary mosaic designed by Mimmo Paladino and fabricated by Constantino Buccoleri in 2000, we want to say a little something about a major positive factor in the Mosaic Masterpieces Tour -- the company we kept.

In the back row we have: Steve Greer and Lea Holland (Memphis), Ana Foncerrada (Mexico), Marian Shapiro (Australia), Jo Braun (Seattle), Sandra Foncerrada (mother of Ana, Mexico), and Tom Braun (husband of Jo, Seattle). In the front row you will find: Michael Welch (Boston), Lesley Miller (Australia), Allan Punton (UK) and our guide Julie Richey. Bronwyn Fife of Australia missed this photo opp, but was a contributing member of our Merry Mosaic Band.

No matter how wonderful the sites or how fabulous the food, a grand tour can derail quickly if there are unhappy campers on the journey with you. These folks were great. Individually, they brought a wealth of knowledge and curiosity; collectively, their bonhomie and sense of adventure made every day a joy.

The Ara Pacis Museum is a spectacular building designed by Richard Meier that houses the reconstructed pieces of the Ara Pacis, an altar raised to honor the return of the Emperor Augustus from the Hispanic and Gaul wars. The date is "January 9 BC." There is a gallery below ground, but the only other permanent work of art in the museum is the mosaic by Mimmo Paladino.

Going to see this mosaic felt like a pilgrimage as we have loved it since we first discovered it online. The work is an extraordinary compilation of symbols applied to convex and concave surfaces that, according to Paladino, "reflect the zenithal light."

After spending so much time immersed in the symbolism of early Christianity earlier in the week, there was much discussion about Paladino's use of symbols here. While some are easy to discern (the dove, the raven, the cup, the fish, etc) others are less easy to decipher. Even more challenging were the questions of why these images were included here. Unfortunately, the only good text explaining Palladino's design are in a 100 Euro book for sale in the museum's book shop. A staffer explained that the artist is very particular about how his work is represented.

What, we wondered, will viewers 500 years from now make of these symbols? How will they be interpreted within the context of what those in the future believe is life is like for us today?

But, wait! What's wrong with this picture? Dust bunnies! Yes, there were genuine dust bunnies clinging to many of the surfaces of the mosaic. Unacceptable. We suggested a Swiffer to the museum staffer on the way out.

A Walk in the Park to Fall In Love With Bernini

One of our most pleasant memories was the walk from the Piazza del Popolo through the Pincio Gardens on our way to the Galleria Borghese. The park was filled with fountains and follies and the only other people there were Romans strolling in the warm October air.

Well, maybe the air was a little more than "warm." This cane had the right idea.

Galleria Borghese

At the Galleria Borghese we fell in love. With Bernini.

Apollo and Daphne 1625 via

Apollo and Daphne took our breath away. There were more sculptures by Bernini, but this one was captivating. We learned that Bernini had planned it to be placed in a particular room at ground level so that the viewer, upon entering the room, would see the gods as human-sized. The initial view was from the rear of the statue, so one could only see the backs of the two figures. It was only as one approached and began to walk around the work that the struggle between Apollo and Daphne became evident. Unbelievable. Like Michelangelo's Pieta, sublime. If you are in Rome, plan two hours at the Galleria Borghese. It is simply a must.

St. Paul Outside the Walls - San Paolo Fuori le Mura

Basilica facade with 13th century Venetian mosaics

Founded by Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century, this basilica is the burial site for the Apostle Paul. We adored it for the sense of airiness and peace that pervaded the place.


Extraordinary alabaster windows were inspiration for at least one mosaic artist.

Like St. Peter's, St. Paul's had it's own impressive micro mosaics.


Malachite from imperial Russia

Unique at St. Paul's were the beautiful Venetian mosaics on the exterior of the building and in the apse. Installed in the 13th century, the design of these mosaics reflect the aesthetics of Venetian Renaissance artists. People and objects are softer. The light is richer. The landscapes more idealized. Think Tintoretto or Titian. We were also reminded of Maxfield Parish.

Just when we thought we had experienced St. Paul's in the basilica, we entered the Cloisters.

Here was a totally different world. A quiet, intimate space no less transporting and sacred than the grand Basilica. People wandered, quietly taking photos and just grinning at one another. Very special.

Back row: Sandra Foncerrada, Allan Punton, Jo & Tom Braun, Micheal Welch, Lesley Miller, Steve Greer, Marian Shapiro, Ana Foncerrada, Lea Holland. Front row: Nancie Mills Pipgras, Julie Richey, Bronwyn Fife.

We Meet the Devil In The Tarot Garden - Il Giardino dei Tarrochi

Thursday was "Private Bus Day" so, after St. Paul's, we began the two-hour drive (with custom sound track provided by Richey) to the picture-perfect Italian hill town of Capalbio. Niki de Saint Phalle's famous Tarot Garden is nearby. But first, an extravagant lunch of papadarelle al cinghiale - pasta with boar sauce - at a delightful restaurant Richey had arranged to have open just for us. We ate like kings. Outside the restaurant was one of de Saint. Phalle's famous Nanas. After several bottles of local wine, we were inspired.

Marian Shapiro and moi

Soon, it was everybody back in the bus and 10 minutes later we were in another world . . .

Allan Punton and The Devil. Or visa versa?

Much has been written about the celebrated artist Niki de Saint. Phalle. And nothing can quite prepare one for the experienced of being truly immersed in her world. Every pathway takes one to a new vision – surreal, unique and passionate. We'll provide links to more information below, but one of the facts that surprised us the most is that it took 20 years to build out the site to the point where it was opened to the public in 1996.

Richey introduced us to the Giardino's mirror master and superintendent, Ugo Celletti. Celletti was the postman when de St. Phalle and her husband, the artist Jeanne Tinguely, began work on the garden. de Saint Phalle wrote:

Ugo, the postman, started by helping make the stone pathways, and then he worked on the metal mesh. Later he asked if he could try putting on the mirror mosaics onto the sculptures. He became a poet of mirrors. He’s always afraid that there will be no more work for him here. I promised him that there will always be something new for him to do and if needed I’d build the great wall of China around the whole garden and whole generations would be required to finish it.

Niki's Tarot Garden is beginning to suffer from the "ravages of time." After 20 - 40 years, the bonds between tesserae and substrate are beginning to weaken. After years of input from industrial chemists and trying a number of products and methods, there appears to be no good way to repair the damage. Celletti told us that his main concern now is simply maintaining the status quo.

Next Up: Ravenna and Venice. We hope you are enjoying the trip!

Enjoy – Nancie

RESOURCES

Ara Pacis
Saint Paul Outside the Walls
Tarot Garden

Allora! It's The Mosaic Masterpieces Tour 2011: Rome Part 1

2011-10-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Where to even begin? The 14 days spent earlier this month in Italy were filled with revelations and epiphanies. No, really. It was that amazing. Today we will start a recap of the highlights of the Mosaic Masterpieces Tour 2011 led by Julie Richey. We will start in Rome and then move on to Ravenna and Venice. Additional photos will be posted on the MAN Facebook Page.

If we learned anything on the tour, it is that people around the world value MAN and what we do here. It was incredibly encouraging to have an artist in Ravenna say, "I don't miss your blog or your tweets. They inspire me." It just doesn't get any better than that.

If you like what we do here at MAN and are so inclined, we ask that you help us reach our goal of raising $3,500 towards finding a CURE FOR BREAST CANCER by supporting our 60 MILE WALK November 4th through 6th in Dallas, Texas. Details are at the end of this post. Now, let's get to the good stuff . . .

What We Loved in Rome

"Allora!" You hear that constantly in Italy. It can mean, "Let's see . . ." or "Well . . . " or "Hokay . . ." It acts as a sort of filler in conversation and we loved the sound of it. Try it with me now and roll that r . . . Allorrrrrra!

Birthday At St. Peter's On our first morning in Rome, Mosaic Masterpieces guide (and good friend) Julie Richey rousted us out of bed. "It's your birthday! Get up! Put on your walking shoes!" We followed instructions and 15 minutes later found ourselves here.

Photo via Wikipedia

This is why the word "awesome" was invented. And "sacred." And "thunderstruck." While we were searching for words to use in the moment, Richey pivoted us 90 degrees and whispered in our ear, "Look."

Photo via Wikipedia

And we sobbed. The sweet resignation and peace in Mary's face. Christ's limply hanging foot that looks as if it has just stopped swaying. The size and width of Mary's lap – a space large enough to hold the worries of the world. The luminosity of the stone – as if these beings are lit from within. You can see images of a work of the Pieta your whole life, but nothing prepares you for the experience of standing in front of the sublime.

The Spanish Steps at Twilight

Magic Time

Food, Glorious Food!

Richey did Roman cuisine proud in steering us to restaurants that offered wonderful bites of La Dolce Vita including the fabled "Alfredo's." The phrase heard most often within the group was, "We shan't starve." It's a good thing the airlines only weighed our luggage.

Deep-fried artichokes in the Jewish ghetto.

Fabbrica di San Pietro - The Vatican Micro Mosaic Studio

Our Merry Band about to enter the Vatican's Micro Mosaic Studio
L to R: Bronwyn Fife, (Australia), Sanda Foncerrada (Mexico), Lesley Miller (Australia), MAN Publisher Michael Welch (Boston), Ana Foncerrada (Mexico), Jo and Tom Braun (Seattle), Lea Holland and Steve Greer (Memphis), Nancie Mills Pipgras (Santa Rosa). Kneeling: Allan Punton (UK)

Founded in the 16th Century, the Fabbrica di San Pietro was charged with creating the glorious large-scale mosaics that are found in St. Peter's Basilica. Their centuries-old practices are held secret, so getting a tour is extremely difficult and, of course, no photos, please.

Dr. Paolo diBuono, Director of the Fabbrica di San Pietro Micro Mosaic Studio

Dr. diBuono was generous with his time and expertise answering every question, explaining and pulling out drawers filled with ancient smalti. Today, the majority of the Studio's work is split between commissions, creating papal gifts for visiting dignitaries (one artisan pulled out a series of photos for us - "This, Bush Junior. This, Bush Senior. This, Clinton") and restoring the mosaics of St. Peter's including this reproduction of Raphael's Transfiguration . . .

Photos via

In the photo below, you can see some of the Studio's most recent restoration work in the bright area beneath the tondo.

Photo: Julie Richey

As Dr. diBuono was leading us through St. Peter's we asked, "Does working here every day sometimes feel overwhelming?" "There are times" he replied softly "when you are struck by the fact that you are part of history."

A Basilica on Top of a Basilica on Top of a Temple on Top of a Spring: San Clemente

Lea Holland refilling her water bottle in the Courtyard of San Clemente

Nowhere was history more palpable for us than our visit to the Basilica of San Clemente. You can walk from a 12th century basilica . . .

down a set of stairs to a 4th century basilica . . .

down a sort of ramp to a 1st century Temple of Mithras . . .

Photos via

that was founded at the site of a spring that still runs today. We cupped our hands and drank deeply. The water was sweet. The air was dense.

Early Christian Symbolism in Neon

We were all taken by the continuity of symbolism used in the Early Christian mosaics of Rome. The mosaics of Century Santi Cosma e Damiano set the standard for many other churches.

Christ as lamb surrounded by the 12 apostles also as sheep was done here first.

A very contemporary face.

A surprising flamingo.

Neon colors in tapestry-like design.

All this was within just the first two days of the tour and we're being selective about what we are showing here. Richey had us testing the mettle of our walking shoes, but all that exercise was a great excuse for a second cappucino in the morning.

Coming up next: We suggest a Swiffer at the Ara Pacis, stop to smell the roses in an ancient cloister, fall in love with Bernini, and meet The Devil at the Tarot Garden.

Our Walk for the Cure

Mosaic Art NOW has an unfortunate history with cancer. That's why we are walking 60 miles in 3 days in Dallas 12 days from now. It's the Komen 3-Day. We did it last year, so we know how hard it is. Cancer is harder. Please help us make it go away. Every donation funds research that will find a cure for breast cancer. Here is where to go: http://www.the3day.org/goto/nanciemillspipgras

Enjoy – and thanks – Nancie

RESOURCES

WATCH:

Vatican-sanctioned video of Mosaic Studio

(Location: http://youtu.be/u6IjISOfQbc)

VISIT:

San Clemente

Santi Cosma e Damiano

Maylee Christie's Mosaic Sculpture "Orchid" Sells for £44,000 at Sotheby's

2011-10-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

Orchid, 2011 430 cm x 290 cms

Stained glass, smalti, rubies, gold, silver and "hundreds of other materials"

We are excited to announce that Peruvian-born artist Maylee Christie's "Orchid" recently sold for £44,000 (approx. $70,000 US) at Sotheby's Auction House in London.

Christie studied Graphic Design at La Plata's Academy of fine Arts in Argentina and became a successful illustrator and writer of children's books while living in Madrid, Spain. After she moved to the UK in 1999, Christie studied at the Mosaics Art School in Ravenna, Italy and, subsequently, the Orsoni Foundry in Venice. Christie went on to study Sculpture at Winchester School of Art and glass casting at the Liquid Glass Center.

Detail

Christie's work was featured in Mosaic Art NOW's 2010 Exhibition in Print. She was a favorite of MAN founder Bill Buckingham. "You know, Bill believed in the orchid from the start", says the artist, "even when I didn't dare to send it for the 2011 Exhibition in Print because it wasn't finished on time. I'm so grateful for his encouragement."

What follows is a reprint of a 2010 MAN blog post with comments from Buckingham:

"Ramblings" Maylee Christie, 2009 90cm x 90cm

Smalti, semi precious stones, gold, fused glass, shells, millefiori, ammonites, beads.

Maylee Christie was a featured artist in Mosaic Art Now's 2009 Gallery ("Premonitions" pg 40). When she sent us photos of her latest mosaic, "Ramblings", we were once again taken by the detailed beauty of her work. Editor Bill Buckingham says, "Her mosaic is like an exquisitely intricate textile. It's not about the whole piece, it's about the details that make up the whole. You discover a singular 'something' each time you look at it. And yet, there is a complete 'wholeness' to it in the feelings it evokes."

"Her work is very tight; no interstices here. You can see the influence of her work with Marco Bravura. Her colors are gorgeous and the palette works.

"I can't imagine how someone thinks in detail like this. It's not how I see the world at all. Ramblings gives me a new vantage point on the world that makes my life all the richer for it. For me, that is one of the great joys of art."

Do we need to remind you to "click to enlarge?"

Our most heartfelt and enthusiastic congratulations to Ms. Christie. Brava!

Enjoy – Nancie

VISIT Maylee Christie's website
SEE Marco Bravura's work

Orsoni Prize 2011 Winners Announced

2011-09-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Frank Zappa Julian Modica (France)
50 x 50 cm Smalti.

An intriguing portrait of the late rock icon and provocateur Frank Zappa was the winner of one of the world's most prestigious mosaic awards, The Orsoni Prize 2011. The artist, Julian Modica of Marseilles France, will receive Euro 1,000 and all travel arrangements necessary for a one week Master in Mosaic Workshop at the Orsoni foundary in Venice.

The jurors, master mosaicist Lucio Orsoni, Honorary President of Orsoni Smalti Veneziani, Angelo Orsoni and Pino Bisazza, President of international tile innovator Trend, selected Frank Zappa because of the artist's exceptional success in "giving an extraordinary mosaic atmosphere through the choice of a subject which is certainly (not what one would think of as) mosaic."

We can see that. We also see that Modica, a graduate of the famed Scuola Mosaicist del Friuli, captured Zappa's intelligent, sly approach to the world around him. It is more than just the image. It's the fact that the largely neutral palette is broken with primary colors. Zappa was never what one thought he was at first glance. Neither is this portrait.

The Orsoni Prize is awarded biannually to mosaic artists for excellence in working with the material that has made Orsoni Veneziani famous – smalti – that exquisite enameled glass that adorns the floors, ceilings and walls of places of worship, government, study, and commerce all around the world. The only guidance for submitting artists is that 75% of the artwork be composed of Orsoni smalti.

Finalist designation went to Erika V. Haaland of Sao Paulo, Brazil for Gold Leave.

Gold Leave Erica V. Haaland (Brazil)
124 x 84.5 cm Smalti

The jurors applauded Ms. Haaland's "use of the smalti colours and the luminosity of gold mosaic" in evoking "the feeling of autumn." Ms. Haaland will receive 3 kilos of Orsoni's famed 24k gold mosaic tesserae as her prize.

Three Honorable Mentions were also given by the jurors and, quite by coincidence, all three of the artists are from the State of Massachusetts in the USA. Maybe someone should start bottling the water? Each of these artists will receive 1 kilo of Orsoni gold smalti.

Stochastic Processes Cynthia Fisher (USA)
65 x 54.5 cm Smalti.

We looked up "stochastic processes" and this is what we found:

Doob (1996) defines a stochastic process as a family of random variables from some probability space into a state space . Here, is the index set of the process. -- Mathworld.Wolfram.com

Clearly Ms. Fisher is continuing to explore the stratosphere of math through mosaic which she started in her "fractal" series. For that body of work, Fisher was named one of the eight artists in Mosaic Art NOW's Exhibition in Print 2010.

Battito, Pulse Rebecca R Quattrone (USA)
68.6 x 134.5 x 13 cm

Rebecca Quattrone's Battito (Pulse) (above) makes skillful use of sculptural forms in giving a third dimension – or "life"– to a two-dimensional image that is the icon of life itself - the heartbeat. The effect is quite dramatic.

We are very, very pleased to announce that Mosaic Art NOW Publisher, Michael Welch, was the third artist to receive an Honorable Mention.

Timeless Vortex – Antelope Canyon Michael Welch (USA)
38 x 61 cm Smalti

This work is based on the fine art photographs that Welch has taken during his travels through the Southwestern US with Mosaic Art NOW's founder, Bill Buckingham. The two have a deep affinity for the beauty, serenity and spirituality of that very special part of the world. We think that love shines through in Timeless Vortex.

We want to send a very large round of applause to Orsoni and Trend for their continued support of contemporary mosaic artists through the Orsoni Award. Grazie a tutti.

Enjoy – Nancie

CLICK FOR MORE:

Orsoni Smalti Veneziani

Trend Group

Julian Modica

Cynthia Fisher

Cynthia Fisher on Mosaic Art NOW

Rebecca Quattrone

Photos courtesy of Orsoni and Trend.

Forward Mosaic! Braun, Chinn and Drouin at the Villa Bagatelle in Quebec City

2011-09-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Outcropping, 2011 Lynne Chinn

In the city of Old Quebec lies a jewel box of an art gallery – the Villa Bagatelle – a two-story restored Victorian home curated by the Cultural Division of the City of Quebec. Between now and December 18th this 1700 sq. ft. facility will house 40 mosaics by three of the art form's most accomplished North American artists: Jo Braun (USA), Lynne Chinn (USA) and Sophie Drouin (Canada).

The exhibit is entitled Forward Mosaic! – or En Avant La Mosaique! as they say in Quebec – and it is a lovely example of what a rich visual experience contemporary mosaics can be in a well-curated setting.

Image courtesy Ville de Quebec

Villa Bagatelle Curator and Manager Eric Dumas made very considered use of the space – the pieces don't just sit there, plunked on a wall one after the other – there is a balance, flow and cohesiveness to the presentation.

Image courtesy Ville de Quebec

We are also extremely appreciative of Dumas' care in using custom hues of paint for each wall. These colors visually link pieces done by three very different artists. There is a continual soft glow throughout the exhibit. Focused lighting does an excellent job of bringing out the characteristics of color, texture, relief, reflection and refraction that are the hallmarks of mosaic as a fine art form. We are told that opening night visitors were dazzled.

Why did the City of Quebec devote such so much time, energy and financial resources to mount a contemporary mosaic exhibit? The Cultural Division's promotional materials explain:

This extraordinary exhibit invites and challenges the viewer to share the artists perspectives expressed in an art medium that is deeply rooted in history and has now firmly joined the ranks of contemporary art.

We say Bravo! In every language.

Now, about the artists . . . And don't forget to click to enlarge.

Sophie Drouin: Of the Earth

Ms. Drouin's work is unmistakeable for its exploration of the materials of the earth. A co-author of "Listening to the Rocks," Drouin finds great joy and spiritual gratification in exploring the beauty and artistic possibilities of the earth's most basic components. Stones, crystals, fossils, minerals, and metals are split, sliced, cut, bent and manipulated to form her primary palette. Often, she will incorporate various types of glass – a product of the alchemy of firing silica and minerals together – in her work.

Awakening, 2011 25" x 20.5" x 4.5"
Marble, apophylite, smalti, gold smalti, dichroic glass, sodalite, granite, lapis lazuli, copper, Dalle de Verre, amazonite, apatite, emerald.

Drouin's work is at its most astonishing when she captures every day phenomena that transform organic materials from one thing to another. The laws of physics and chemistry cannot be denied. Matter changes. Awakening (above) is an excellent example of Drouin's ability to capture these ephemeral moments of change with great beauty. Here is how she describes the work:

Awakening is an abstracted view of ice and snow formations that typically happen in late winter or early spring in Canada. Newly fallen snow that gets sublimated by the sun forms strange spiky surfaces, and ice puddles get a doily-like array of holes at the edge like strange pancakes.

Drouin also takes this mosaic beyond the confines of a frame. We like the visual analogy that the natural process she references cannot be contained.

Also on view at the Villa Bagatelle is our favorite work by Ms. Drouin, Evanescence.

Evanescence, 2010 24" x 30" x 9"

Marble, gold, dichroic glass, Blenko slag and glass, smalti, granite, slate snowflake obsidian, tourmaline and stybnite.

The winner of the Best 2-D Award at Mosaic Arts International 2011, Evanescence, like Awakening, captures a precise moment of change in the physical world. Here, Drouin shows us the last fleeting moments in the lives of sheets of cardboard as they are consumed by fire.

Evanescence, according to one on-line dictionary is defined as "quickly fading from sight, memory, or existence."

The title of this work is apt. There is still heat in those glowing pieces of glass at the center of the work even as the edges cool and turn to ash/marble. Another moment in time is captured beautifully through Drouin's mastery of her materials.

Drouin is also well known for her sense of whimsy and fun (the concert violinist also plays the saw). Forward Mosaic! includes several works that prove this point, our favorite being Medusa.

Medusa, 2011 25" x 33" x 23" on 5' pedestal

Marble, glass, copper, septarian nodule, travertine smalti, rock crystal, obsidian, schist, slate, glass vitrigraph.

Talk about your bad hair day. (Sorry, could not resist.) And my, what sharp teeth she has. (Sorry again.)

Ms. Drouin can also be credited with being the "instigator" of Forward Mosaic! as it was her long-time professional and personal relationship with curator Eric Dumas that was at the genesis of the exhibit. Ms. Drouin's work has been exhibited internationally; she was awarded a "special congratulations" at the 2008 Prix Picassiette in France. She is also a much-sought after teacher and speaker.

Jo Braun: Of the Mind

Jo Braun takes an extremely cerebral approach to her mosaics. Philosophies are picked apart. Notions of beauty are skewered. Preconceptions about the very nature of mosaic are challenged (much to the dismay of some in the mosaic world).

Jo Braun thinks about things quite a lot before she goes into her studio. These days, she is intent upon creating objects that provide "a contemplative antidote" to the cacophony of modern life.

Great Silence, 2011 29" x 39" x 3"

Glazed-ceramic and recycled glass on hand formed cement panel.

"My work offers viewers an open ended field to contemplate, and an opportunity to decide for themselves what they see in the rhythmic assemblages", says the artist.

An anthropologist by training (it is Dr. Braun, actually), Braun references the metaphysical intent of Islamic mosaic traditions in explaining her current efforts. She posits that even if one employs "imperfect" components like her non-traditional materials and introduces an element of randomness in their placement, the concepts of rhythm and balance can still create a doorway to mindfulness.

And if mindfulness is the goal of Braun's efforts, we think she succeeds nicely in Great Silence. In fact, we could lose ourselves in this mosaic for hours.

Threadscape, 2010 34" x 43" x 3"

Threaded hardware, glass, stone, porcelain and found objects on hand-formed cement panel.

Can the most basic, simplest components of an industrialized society provide the same sublime experience as Islamic mosaics? Braun makes a good case for it in Threadscape. Cast-off screws, nuts, bolts, tacks, nails and a lot of metal things we don't know the purpose of are woven into a tapestry that is as soothing to the soul as a well-worn Kilim.

Forward Mosaic! also features one of Braun's earlier works we are especially fond of, Little Man in the Radio.

Little Man in the Radio, 2008 41" x 17" x 4"

Salvaged glass and found objects on cement board.

When we saw this work and read the title, we were thrown right back into Granny's kitchen trying to get our head around the concept of human voices coming out of a plastic box. It turns out that Braun's inspiration for this mosaic was a similar point in her life:

It's my memory of the interior of the 1970 Saphire radio in our VW squareback--I used to stare inside it to see the little man (hey, I was a toddler and they didn't make us sit in car seats back then).

Readers of Mosaic Art NOW may be familiar with her work as she was one of the eight artists selected for our 2011 Exhibition in Print juried by Bernice Steinbaum, Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings. Ms. Braun was named Best in Show by Biggs and Collings.

Lynne Chinn: Of the Cosmos

Readers of the Mosaic Art NOW magazine and blog are already familiar with the work of Lynne Chinn. Her Geode, currently on display at the Villa Bagatelle, graced our 2009 cover and is the icon for our blog. Best of all, it usually lives at our house.

Geode, 2009 8" x 10.5" x 8"

Smalti, 24k colored gold smalti, vitreous glass, stained glass, millefiori.

We find Chinn's work most exciting when she is creating her own cosmic, fragile species of beings from the cold, hard matter of glass.

Her latest work, Outcropping, could be a group of tumbling alien lichen or maybe a cluster of yet-to-be-discovered mollusks clinging to an ocean shelf.

Outcropping, 2011 Various sizes ranging from 3" x 2" x 3" to 12" x 12" x 12"

Smalti, marble, copper gold, quartz crystals, selenite, glass.

Through Chinn's deft use of color and texture and her amazing technical skills, flat, sharp, materials – the glass that is her cosmic matter – is transformed into creatures that look as if they could move or breath or burp at any second.

There is also something profoundly peaceful about Chinn's work, even as she creates entities that appear very much in motion. Her creatures ripple and flow, responding to the forces of nature like wind and water. That they do so "naturally" is her gift.

Winged Geode, 2007 29.5" x 9" x 13"

Smalti, 24k gold smalti, colored 24k gold smalti, transparent smalti, piastrini, smalti pizza and vitreous glass.

The artist's background in fashion illustration and design is evident in the andamento and patterning she uses to such great effect in her mosaics. Scales, snake skin, and nacre – all manner of living creature "outerwear" come to mind. Winged Geode was a Finalist in the prestigious international mosaic Orsoni Award of 2007, a bit of an upset in the mosaic world as an American woman was selected by two Italian jurors who are mosaic legends themselves.

Fabrics also provide inspiration for Chinn.

Undulate, 2008 18" x 30.25" x 2.25"

Smalti, 24 colored gold smalti, copper smalti, marble, vitreous glass, stained glass, porcelain polymer clay pearls and selenite.

In Undulate, we see two pieces of cloth played against each other. A rich, heavy tapestry provides the background to a swath of something airy and ephemeral billowing above it. Again, you see Chinn's magic in creating lightness and movement from hard materials.

Not surprisingly, Undulate won the Best in Show title for Mosaic Arts International 2009 and Ms. Chinn's classes fill up in an instant.

As if these works of art wouldn't be enough to get you to the Villa Bagatelle, there are also two speaking events planned; Professor JeanAnn Dabb on November 15th and artist Sophie Drouin on November 16th.

Go, and if you do, please tell us about it.

Enjoy – Nancie

CHECK OUT the exhibit
VISIT Sophie Drouin's website
VISIT Jo Braun's website
VISIT Lynne Chinn's website

What Lies Beneath: The Geology Series by Rachel Sager Lynch

2011-09-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

Frack, 2011 22" x 30"

Marcellus shale, 24 karat gold smalti, vintage Italian smalti, concretion stone, metal fitting

Artist Rachel Sager Lynch digs deep – very deep – for both artistic inspiration and the majority of the materials she uses in The Geology Series. In this body of work, the mosaicist explores the contentious intersection of nature and industry that is currently a central issue in her beloved farmlands of western Pennsylvania.

Owning property in Western Pennsylvania at this juncture in time is a little like finding oneself on stage. Due to a technological breakthrough in the natural gas industry, drilling companies have descended on our farmland to drill natural gas wells deep into the Marcellus Shale formations 8,000 feet beneath us. The direct effects on the community are large and varied: job creation, financial rescue for struggling farmers, noise pollution, and a fear of water contamination. Drilling has become a phenomenon here and emotions run high. – Rachel Sager Lynch

In Frack, Sager Lynch's primary material is Marcellus shale, the rock which houses the much sought after treasure trove of natural gas. Here, she employs arcing lines of smalti to emulate the process of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." Is this new industry a good thing or a bad thing for her community? Sager Lynch's answer can be found in the industrial fitting filled with white gold that serves as the focal point for the work. It is both beautiful and ominous.

The Mighty Marcellus Series #1 & #2 take a more literal approach to her theme – creating cut-away visions of the earth's layers with the intrusion of gas wells. Strata are represented with materials Sager Lynch sources herself locally – Coal, copper, sandstone, shale, fossils and even Native American arrowheads.

The Might Marcellus Series #1, 2010 11" x 36"

Slate, marble, Pennsylvania sandstone, Italian smalti, raw copper, copper tubing, photo-luminescent glass, Blenko glass, brick, mica, Native American arrowheads.

The Mighty Marcellus Series #1 Detail

The Mighty Marcellus Series #2, 2011

Marcellus shale, slate, photoluminescent glass, sandstone coal, chalcopyrite,

fossils, coal dust, copper savings, galena, vintage Italian smalti, terra cotta roofing tile,

unglazed ceramic tile, Native American arrowhead, copper pipe and fittings.

The chaos of andamento and objects at the bottom of #2 is strikingly indicative of the upheaval caused by hydraulic fracturing.

Mighty Marcellus #2 Detail

Sager Lynch has no fear in combining both man made and natural materials to make a point. The Geology Series includes two smaller "Mini Marcellus" mosaics that are excellent examples of this.

Mini Marcellus Series #1, 2011 4" x 12" Detail
Slate, sandstone, concretion stone, 24 karat gold and vintage Italian smalti, copper pipe and fittings

Mini-Marcellus Series #2, 2011 5" x 22" Detail
Slate, coal, sandstone, fossils, galena, Mexican and Italian smalti, marble, copper pipe.

Time also figures into Sager Lynch's inspiration for The Geology Series.

Time is a tricky concept when thinking geologically. It dwarfs our human time so completely. These works are my attempt to represent the layers of time and earth in an accessible and beautiful way. – Rachel Sager Lynch

The Allegory of Copper, 2011 13" x 20"

Marble, sandstone, raw native coper, stone concretions, chalcopyrite, vintage and 24 karate gold Italian smalti, unglazed ceramic tile, terra cotta roofing tile, copper pipe and fittings.

The Allegory of Copper, Detail

The Geology Series is on view now in Washington, Pennsylvania at the Palazzo 1837 Ristorante in an exhibit the artist calls "under-land." Go.

Enjoy – Nancie

Resources

www.rachelsagermosaics.com

www.palazzo1837.com

If you enjoy Mosaic Art NOW's blogs, posts and tweets, please consider supporting my 60 Mile Walk For the Cure with a donation. Go to my personal page here to learn more about why I'm walking with a vengeance this year. Thank you.

Ilana Shafir Honored with Solo Exhibition at Ravenna Mosaico 2011 2011

2011-09-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Three weeks from today, we will be in Rome. For the first time. As part of a small group of similarly mosaic-addled friends. With an itinerary that will take us from the ancient to the classical to the contemporary.

Photos via Norman Tellis

Mimo Palladino at the Ara Pacis

Two weeks and one day from now, we will be in Ravenna. Just in time to take part in Notte d'Oro, the opening celebrations for the 7 week long mosaic festival that is Ravenna Mosaico 2011.

Roto-B - Recuperi d' Oro, 2008 Marco Bravura

We are, to say the least, thrilled.

We are also thrilled to learn that the organizers of Ravenna Mosaico, the City of Ravenna and International Association of Mosaic (AIMC), have selected the work of contemporary mosaic treasure, Ilana Shafir, as the only solo exhibit they are sponsoring this year.

Omaggio a Ilana Shafir opens October 9th at the beautiful Cloisters of Classense Library and features nine works by the internationally acclaimed Israeli artist.

Primal Glow, 2006 65 x 62.5 cm
Artist's mosaic garden, Ashkelon, Israel

Shafir's work is unmistakeable. Powerful, flowing, joyful landscapes, cityscapes and creatures emerge from disparate pieces of stone, shell, glass, found objects and Shafir's own ceramics.

My approach to mosaic is unique in the sense that I do not work with a prelimary sketch or blueprint. Instead, I let my intuition and artistic sensibilities guide my work in a process I call Spontaneous Mosaic. While I am using many of the same materials that were used in ancient mosaics, I aim to do so in a modern way. Ilana Shafir

Cosmic Collision, 2005 60 x 63 cm
Collection of Laura Gavioli

"Organic" is the first word that comes to mind when we think of Ilana Shafir. Her approach, materials and subject matter are all very, very much "alive" and this, perhaps, is what makes her work so immediately engaging and satisfying to the viewer.

Birds In The Garden, 2010 60 x 80 cm

Bird's In The Garden is an excellent example of Shafir's signature sense of whimsy at work. One can also see her mastery of composition – the work has three distinct vertical areas all of which are grounded by the horizontal area at the bottom. Shafir uses andamento (e.g. the flow of pebbles behind the two central birds), line (e.g. the thin lines of gold radiating from the top of the piece) and cohesive color palette to make what should be a cacophony of disparate elements into a rich, magical, visual concert.

Peacocks, 2007 126 x 121 cm

Peacocks consists of four separate panels and the borders between the pieces can be easily seen – a hallmark of Shafir's larger works. There are some who find this component disruptive. We agree with Mosaic Art NOW's Exhibition in Print 2011 judges Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings when they spoke about their selection of Shafir as one of the Exhibition's eight artists.

Her decisions about the junctions between her boards seem curious, but believable. They advertise the construction, the 'made' quality of the work – a jolt alerting you to the fact that she is the author of the 'magical' qualities of her image making. She is able, with this device, to resist the sentimental and to allow you to see her decisions, her carefree technique, as the hand of an artist who is concerned more about what she is communicating than with the technical aspects of her enquiry. Biggs & Collings

Flows, 2010 181 x 141 cm
Artist's mosaic garden, Ashkelon, Israel

Through the Waves, 2011 120 x 120 cm

Whirl, 2008 65 x 98 cm
Artist's mosaic garden. Ashkelon, Israel

Ilana Shafir is also an extraordinary teacher who feels a personal obligation to "share my ideas and philosophy about mosaic art." Known for her playfulness and individual attention in the classroom, Shafir says, "I learned a lot from my students, especially from children. In fact, my observations of how children work helped me develop my own approach to mosaic making, 'The Spontaneous Method.'"

Several of her students have told us that spending time with Shafir changed their whole approach to art making. "I feel totally free for the first time," said one dazzled friend.

Shining Star, 2010 60 x 80 cm
Artist's mosaic garden. Ashkelon, Israel

Ilana Shafir is a Shining Star in the contemporary mosaic world. She is also an extraordinary human being whose life has been an incredible journey. What follows is a quote from a recent letter in support of Shafir's candidacy for the Israeli Prize for achievements in the visual arts written by mosaic artist Rhonda Heisler.

Over the years I've also come to know Ilana's personal journey – from her birthplace in Sarajevo, to the Yugoslavian coastal town that sheltered her family during the Holocaust, to her art studies in Zagreb, to emigration to Israel, the establishment of her own family, her career as founding director of the Ashkelon Art Center, and her development into a mosaicist of singular vision and international stature.

Old Tree Blooming, 2011 61 x 83 cm
Artist's mosaic garden. Ashkelon, Israel

The thread through this remarkable life has been her dedication to the process of making art – a constantly evolving through-line we can trace from the talented child with a gift for drawing and insightful portraiture; to the dark, haunted portraits of the postwar period; to her re-embrace of life and a more optimistic world view as seen in her mid-career watercolors and intricate pen and ink studies depicting the natural world and all its creatures – real and imaginary. Throughout the decades, Ilana has moved with mastery and distinction among many of the fine arts including drawing, painting, ceramics, and sculpture.

When not teaching, the 84 year old artist is in her studio daily finding inspiration from one single piece of something that will launch her next lush, rich, fantastical mosaic journey. How we would love to spend time in her magical mosaic garden in Ashkelon.

Our thanks to Shafir's daughter, Leah Shafir Zahavi and son, Giora Shafir for information and photographs used in this post. We strongly recommend that you spend time on You Tube viewing "Milestones", the biographical video that Giora has made about his mother's life. You will find links below.

And, if you haven't already done so, please click on each of the photos above to get a close-up view of this beautiful work.

Enjoy – Nancie

SEE Ravenna Mosaic 2011 details here
VISIT Ilana Shafir's website here
Rhonda Heisler's website here
WATCH "Milestones"

Corning Museum of Glass Adds Mosaic Sculpture by Ann Gardner To Its Collection

2011-09-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

Five Pods 78"h x 78"w x 6"d

Glass composite, concrete, steel, rope

A recent newsletter from Mosaic Art NOW 2010 cover artist Ann Gardner announced that the she has received the prestigious Rakow Award from the Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG)

This program is made possible through the generosity of the late Dr. and Mrs. Leonard S. Rakow, Museum Fellows, friends, and benefactors of the Museum. As a part of this award, the Corning Museum of Glass commissions or purchases an existing piece of art from the selected artist. Each commissioned work is added to the Museum's collection and is displayed publicly for the first time during the annual Seminar.

Over the years, recipients have ranged from emerging to established artists. Presently, the commission is awarded to professional artists whose work is not yet represented in the Corning Museum's collection. Artists are nominated by the curator of modern glass, and one is selected by a Museum curatorial staff committee. Any artist from any country working in glass is eligible, but there is no formal application procedure.

CMOG selected Gardner's Five Pods, a work strongly representative of the artist's ouevre in its elegantly simple sculptural form, studied use of the light reflective properties of her tesserae (which she makes herself) and exquisite exploration of the space in which the work exists.

The Seattle-based artist has also launched an updated website. We strongly suggest that you grab a cuppa or a glassa and spend some time there.

Enjoy – Nancie

Visit        Ann Gardner.net
   Corning Museum of Glass
Read       Ann Gardner Convergence
               Ann Gardner Lumen
               Point in Time: Ann Gardner
Thanks   Lisa Jacoby

A Collaborative Tour de Force: Mosaic Mural "From a Model to a Rainbow"

2011-08-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

In May of this year, the Washington DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities unveiled what one art lover has described as "the most beautiful mosaic in the city" in the Takoma Metro Rail Station.

Designed by DC's beloved artist Sam Gilliam and brought to life in glass and ceramic by Miotto Mosaics, From a Model to a Rainbow is, quite simply, a collaborative tour de force.

Photos by Richard Holzsager via

Click to enlarge for glorious details.

Sam Gilliam (b. November 30, 1933) is internationally recognized as one of America's foremost Color Field Painter and Lyrical Abstractionist artists. Gilliam, an African American, is associated with the Washington Color School and is broadly considered a Color field painter. His works have also been described as belonging to Abstract Expressionism and Lyrical Abstraction. He works on stretched, draped, and wrapped canvas, and adds sculptural 3D elements. He is recognized as the first artist to introduce the idea of a painted canvas hanging without stretcher bars c.1965, a major contribution to the Color Field School. - Wikipedia

In the video of dedication ceremonies below, Gilliam speaks about his inspiration for the work while citizens talk about the mural's impact in bringing the Takoma Park and Washington DC communities closer together. What more could one ask of public art?

(http://youtu.be/RqXdIP6XSq40

Recently, MAN spoke with Gilliam's assistant of 30 years, Stephen Frietch and mosaic artisan Stephen Miotto, the man responsible for the making of From a Model to a Rainbow and many of the extraordinary mosaics found in the NY subways. Quite honestly, the enthusiasm for the project expressed by both of these men is difficult for us to convey here.

Luckily, we found this PBS video on the project where you can see/feel that enthusiasm. Listen for comments from Gilliam like "as if it's actually flapping out of doors" and "these colors have the feeling that they are in water"– testaments to the artistry of the mosaicists who worked from his original computer generated image.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

(http://youtu.be/fKzyeXFZGyQ)

In our interview, Frietch said, "The mosaic is like a translation. They (the mosaicists) took unexpected liberties. We learned to trust them."

Miotto, based New York, provided us with the following photos of the mosaic's creation in the Travisanutto Studio in Italy.

Photos courtesy Stephen Miotto

Here, we see Gilliam's original design propped up against the wall next to a completed section. Smalti "pizzas" of various colors are placed on the table for consideration while, to the far right, an artisan works with a pallette of yellows.

Miotto's association with Giovanni Travisanutto dates back to 1971. A newly minted graduate of the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli in Spilimbergo, Travisanutto traveled to NY to work in the Crovatto mosaic studio where he met the young Miotto. Travisanutto convinced Miotto to train at Spilimbergo. For lovers of contemporary mosaics, the influence of Spilimbergo is very evident in this work.

Photo courtesy Stephen Miotto

Gilliam's original design was extraordinarily complex; colors shifted, melded and draped from one shape and plane to another. In the studio photo above, one can appreciate how the artisans achieved that complexity with astonishing accuracy using the mosaic components of color, texture and andamento. There isn't a curved tesserae to be found and yet the completed work exudes fluidity.

Photos courtesy Sam Gilliam

Gilliam and Frietch spent time in the Travisanutto Studio with Miotto during the execution of the mosaic. Said Frietch, "There you are at the foot of the Dolomite mountains with your seventeen year old son watching the master (Giovanni Travisanutto), a 70 or 80 year old man make art the same way it has been made for thousands of years . . . it just doesn't get any better."

No, it doesn't.

Says Miotto: You can't copy a work of art (in mosaic). You have to recreate it in a way that is honest to what the artist wants.

And that would be the difference between simple fabrication and making art.

Our sincere thanks to Sam Gilliam, Stephen Frietch and Stephen Miotto for their assistance with this post. We could have gone on for days.

Enjoy – Nancie

Resources:

Takoma Metro Rail Station, 327 Cedar Street NW, Washington DC
Recent works by Sam Gilliam Marsha Mateyka Gallery
Miotto Mosaics, Stephen Miotto: Tel. 845.628.8496 Fax. 845.628.1845
Website for Travisanutto Studio
More photos by Richard Holzager of the mural and its installation at TacomaDC

Previous MAN Posts on Stephen Miotto:
Stephen Miotto Interviewed in His Studio, here
Community Garden: An Award Winning Mosaic by Stephen Miotto here

An American Original is the Face of Ravenna Italy's Fashion Night 2011

2011-07-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

In 527 AD, when Ravenna Italy was the capital of the Roman Empire, it may have been the Empress Theodora who as that city's fashion icon in mosaic . . .

. . . but in 2011, it is American artist Julie Richey's "La Corrente" who will serve as the symbol for what is au courant in that fabled city. How did this come to be?

Here is the story as told by Antonella Bandoli:

Fashion Night is an event that takes place in Ravenna (in the main square) every Summer. The event presents the Fall/Winter Collections of emerging and young fashion designers coming from our area.

A large catwalk is set up for the models fashion show. Dance, music and video artists display in the background, and special guests introduce the Collections.

The event is organized throughout the contribution of the County of Ravenna, CNA and Confartigianato (two national trade associations) and many private and public companies.

Matitegiovanotte.Ravenna (ad agency) was assigned to create the local advertising campaign. In short, the briefing asked for "something very typical + style and fashion".

When we digited "mosaic dress" on Google Images, we found out the beautiful Julie Richey work of art, La Corrente. We immediately thought it was perfect. Elegant, sophisticated, delicate and powerful at the same time. The fact that Julie was not exactly "typical" (read: local) didn't stop us.

Thanks to her kind contribution - probably one of the most important - her dress is now the image of the 2011 Fashion Night event.

We are really glad to display such an impressive work of art made by a young American artist as an interpretation of the local mosaic+fashion culture.

This little paradox adds some salt to the show.

We think this is marvelous - and for more than the obvious reason that Ms. Richey is a very good friend of ours.

Ravenna is revered by art lovers around the world for its incredible mosaic treasures – both historical contemporary. The city has 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is home to some of the most cutting-edge mosaic artists working today. Say the word "mosaic" to anyone in the art world and "Ravenna" will instantly come to mind.

That an American artist's work has been selected to represent the timelessness of Ravenna's commitment to art – in all its manifestations – is a signal – a signal that international boundaries are coming down as mosaic artists continue to employ ancient techniques to express their visions of the world today.

Brava Ravenna!

Enjoy – Nancie

La Corrente, 2010 29" x 23" x 23"

Marble, smalti, 24k gold smalti, sea shells

Winner, Best 3-D Mosaic Mosaic Arts International 2011

More photos: www.juliericheymosaics.com

Heroes with Bling: SF Drag Queens Immortalized in Mosaic by Michael Kruzich

2011-06-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Miss Anita Cocktail 2010

28" x 12" Stone, smalti, vitreous glass

In the 50's, when we were young and growing up in the Bay Area, on a rare Saturday night the Grown Ups would don their hats and gloves and head out for Date Night at Finnochio's in San Francisco. The next morning, still reeking of cigarettes and Crown Royal, they'd fill us with stories of the incredible "female impersonators" they had seen the night before. "She was gorgeous!" they'd exclaim. "She filled up the room! Boy, could he-she I-don't-know-what-to-call-him-her sing!" (Be sure to check out the video at the bottom of this post.)

Photo via

We have loved Drag Queens every since. Glamorous cross-dressing combined with performance art is as ancient as, well, the Greeks and the Romans.

Which is just one of the things that makes "Heroes with Bling", a group of contemporary mosaic portraits by Michael J. Kruzich on view through June 28th at the Market Street Gallery in San Francisco, a sensational body of work.

Holotta Tymes 2011

36" x 36" Stone, smalti, crystal jewels, glass beads

Original photo by Robert Carstensen

Kruzich, who is a professional ballet dancer with the San Francisco Opera, has lived in The City for 16 years. From his Artist Statement:

. . . some of the brightest gems I have witnessed and appreciated in my days here have been the drag artists. There is more to these 'ladies' that just what is to be seen on the surface. Yes, they instantly elevate whatever situation they appear in; lightening the heart, exuding joy, displaying razor sharp wit and carrying themselves with a royal and unapologetic pride that challenges the staunchest conservative to disapprove.

Sister Roma of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence SF, 2011

14" x 28" Stone, smalti and crystal rhinestones

Kruzich continues:

But, behind all that, many of them are the truest and most dedicated humanitarians you could ask for in any community; working tirelessly for charities, fundraising events and supporting local and worldwide causes.

First Lady, Donna Sachet, 2010
16" x 20" Stone, smalti and crystal rhinestones

And some of that drag takes REAL commitment!

Garza Peru, 2010

12" x 16" Stone, smalti and crystal rhinestones

Original photo by Never Navarro

We think that Kruzich's commitment to capturing the spirit of his subjects in these mosaics is no less remarkable.

Working from photographs, Kruzich elevates the images by skillfully employing some of the most exciting aspects of mosaics. Ms. Anita Cocktail is brimming with joie de vivre with vibrant, colorful glass smalti plumage and a background andamento that literally "radiates" the energy she exudes.

It is no wonder Ms. Cocktail earned the People's Choice award a this year's Mosaic Arts International. We can testify that she was definitely the life of that exhibition's opening party.

In Holotta Times, Kruzich captures the quiet intensity and grace of a very different performer through careful color selection and smaller tesserae size. This Queen's persona may be softer than Ms. Cocktail's, but she has no less energy – Kruzich's use of a biff-bam-socko! outline is brilliant.

Kruzich used this framing technique, combined with specific andamento, in several portraits, all to great effect. In Galilea, you know that someone in the audience is on the receiving end of something special.

Galilea, 2011

14" x 28" Stone, smalti, crystal rhinestones.

Off-kilter and in black and white, Mamadora is instantly perceived as the wit and prankster that she is.

Mamadora, 2011

30" x 30" Stone, smalti and vitreous glass

You don't need to read her bio to know, Juanita More is a Star. The vibrancy of Kruzich's mosaic nails her as an over-the-top performer who has been wowing audiences for years. The LGBT community showed their appreciation of her charity work by making her Grand Marshall of the 2005 Gay Pride Parade.

Juanita More, 2011

47" x 47" Smalti, one rhinestone

In Tita Aida, Kruzich uses marvelous millefiori, those miniature glass gems from Murano, Italy, as a background for the more "understated" elegance of this subject. This is a capital L Lady.

Tita Aida, 2011

22" x 27" Stone, smalti, millefiori and crystal rhinestones

Original photo by Danny Dan

Kruzich spent 18 months completing the set of 11 portraits. To keep himself engaged with the project, he experimented with various techniques like the use of tinted thin set for the background in The Ethel Merman Experience.

The Ethel Merman Experience, 2010

20" x 26" Stone, smalti, rhinestones, pearls and tinted thin set.

Our personal favorite from this body of work is Sylvester.

Sylvester, 2011

31" x 23" Stone, smalti, turquoise, broken china & inset jewelry.

We thought this work exuded "soul" for more than just the obvious halo. Kruzich's use of broken china in the floral scarf lends a softness that continues throughout the work into the coloring of the face, the delicate folds within the clothing and the structure of the hands.

It came as no surprise to learn that Sylvester was a well-loved performer and recording artist in the 70's and 80's with two hit dance singles and the moniker "Queen of the Discos." He died of complications from AIDS 1988.

There is something genuine, authentic and human in this portrait made of stone, glass, china, rhinestones, and plastic. We like Sylvester very, very much.

Our congratulations to Mr. Kruzich for an extraordinary body of work. We like you very, very much.

Enjoy – Nancie

The Gallery: Market St. Gallery through June 28th

The Artist: Michael J. Kruzich, MK Mosaics (415) 312-8296

The Ladies:

Miss Anita Cocktail Facebook
Holotta Times Facebook Page
Sister Roma of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, SF Website
Juanita More Website
Donna Sachet Facebook Page
Galilea Facebook Page
Garza Peru Facebook Page
The Ethel Merman Experience Facebook Page
Mamadora Facebook Page
Tita Aida Facebook Group
Sylvester Wikipedia

The Movie: San Francisco Night Club Party 1958

For our Facebook friends, the link is: http://youtu.be/bjLBecx3UDw

The Creator of The Surfing Madonna Mosaic Speaks

2011-06-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

"When you have an artistic vision, sometimes you just can't ignore it." Mark Patterson

The Surfing Madonna has been a cause celebre since it mysteriously appeared on the concrete support of a train overpass on Good Friday/Earth Day in Encinatas, California.

Gregory Bull/AP Photo

Work of art or defacement of public property? The City Council said it must go. The public fell in love. The art vs. graffiti debate went into full gear. Experts were called in.

Gregory Bull/AP Photo

Art restorers Andrea Morse, below, and Andrew Smith, both of Los Angeles, test the possibility of removing the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe riding a surfboard from under a train overpass without damaging the artwork Tuesday, June 7, 2011, in Encinitas, Calif. Morse was hired by the city to test the artwork for removal and give a report. The unauthorized artwork is drawing a mass following, and even city officials who say she must go say they too have been taken by her. Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/08/3686791/expert-miracle-needed-to-remove.html#ixzz1OnPixtPX

We understand there is even a Facebook Page and Twitter feed in Her name.

But, missing from the all the brouhaha were the answers to two important questions: "Who Dunnit and Why?"

All is finally revealed in the video interview below from Fox 5 in San Diego. Meet Mark Patterson. We find Mr. Patterson to be just about as sincere an artist as you would ever meet and remarkably eloquent about what drove him to design this image, travel to Italy to learn how to make mosaics, spend hundreds of hours and dollars making the work and then install it anonymously as a gift to the community in the dark of night. Would that we all followed our visions this way.

For our FB Fans, here is the link: http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videobeta/c2abcffe-08f7-4c17-84e0-c8cae084476c/News/Interview-Surfing-Madonna-Artist-Speaks-Out

What do you think? Art or graffiti? Should it stay or should it go? Would allowing the Madonna to stay legitimize other random acts of public (mosaic) art?

Comment away . . .

Many thanks to Jeff Zelnio, Maureen Doallas and other MAN fans who have been keeping me up to date on this story.

Enjoy!

Nancie (Who simply could not resist this story and is now going back on vacation. Sorta.)

Emma Biggs & Matthew Collings' MAN Exhibition in Print 2011

2011-05-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

What would a revered gallerist, a mosaic legend, and a famous art critic look for in judging mosaic art? This is a question we sought to answer with the Exhibition in Print 2011 sponsored by LATICRETE.

To that end, MAN 2011 readers now have the opportunity to see which judges selected which artists and why. The selections were made entirely independent of one another – Bernice Steinbaum of the Bernice Steinbaum Gallery created one section of the Exhibition and the team of Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings another – and the jurors wrote specifically about the artists they selected.

We also broke the mold by asking our jurors to select artists based upon three submitted works accompanied by indepth artist statements and work descriptions – all of which are found in the magazine.

The result? The Exhibition in Print 2011 is more than a tasty smorgasbord of single mosaic images, it is carefully curated, thoroughly satisfying eight-course mosaic meal.

Last week on the MAN blog, we took a quick look at the selections of Bernice Steinbaum, PhD of the Bernice Steinbaum Gallery in Miami, FL. Today, we'll look at the picks of Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings.

Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings

For the past 20+ years, Emma Biggs has consistently blazed new trails into and opened thinking about the possibilities of contemporary mosaic as fine art.

In 1987, she established the Mosaic Workshop in London taking on public and private commissions with enormous success. While honoring the age-old traditions, Biggs began to use the medium in a uniquely modernist way – exploring the concepts of andamento, pattern and color in the creation of complex, visually stunning work filled with carefully selected imagery.

New Jersey Kitchen Panel Vitreous glass

In the succeeding years, while continuing to push mosaic's artistic boundaries, Biggs also become one of the art form's most sought-after teachers – she is Senior Tutor in Mosaic at West Dean college and conducts additional workshops around the world. Her books, including the best-selling Encyclopedia of Mosaic Techniques are considered "must haves" in mosaic libraries.

In 2009, Biggs collaborated with her husband, Matthew Collings, in the creation of a ground-breaking installation – Five Sisters, at York St Mary's, York.

Both mosaic and painting were inspired by the famous Five Sisters grisaille window in the cathedral. The painting's monochromatic diamonds and the mosaic's roundels (composed of 13th and 14th century pottery sherds) beautifully echo the basic design elements in the window. However, the Five Sisters installation was much more than an homage to the setting.

"What we’re trying to do with Five Sisters is expose the link between history, beauty and work — making an enormous recycling project not just literally with broken or fragmented forms, but exposing the historical fragments of ideas that underlie the way all of us see, and think."

Matthew Collings is a well-known artist, writer and critic who is valued for his candor and "sneakily intelligent style" in talking about all art, both historic and contemporary. One could say he is the UK's Jerry Saltz, challenging accepted art world norms in a way that is both smart and approachable for the uninitiated. His film "What is Beauty?" aired on the BBC2 in November 2009. He is currently working on a major series about the Renaissance also for BBC2. Collings has written numerous articles and several books including "This is Modern Art" and "This is Civilization." We highly recommend his Facebook page.

Here, then, are the Exhibition in Print 2011 selections of Biggs & Collings.

Please bear in mind that this is but a representative portion of the Exhibition in Print as it appears in MAN 2011. We readily admit that much of the exciting dynamics of the Exhibit – most notably context as it relates to both the Exhibition as a whole and the intent of individual artists – is lost within this limited space. In the magazine, four pages are devoted to three works by each artist and are accompanied by in-depth Artist Statements and Descriptions of each work.

We highly recommend that you click on the images for larger and more detailed views. All photographs are by the artist unless otherwise noted.

Excerpt from Biggs & Collings Jurors' Statement:

Effective image making is an enquiry, often experimental. It could result in a humorous or ironic proposal. It could be deeply serious. It is possible to combine humour and serious intent. For MAN's Exhibition in Print, Matthew and I selected work we felt was genuinely exploratory, in which the outcome of the experiment was unknown to the maker when he or she began. We think our selection combines playfulness with observation and expertise, which is not to say it is constrained by technique. in fact, it is the careful balance of the free and the unfree that makes these works so enjoyable.

Biggs & Collings Best In Show Artist: Jo Braun, USA

Mosaic Without Any Tesserae 56 x 39 x 1 in.

Remnant thin set and cement pigment on hand-formed cement panel.

Mosaic Without Any Tesserae Detail

Biggs & Collings: "Jo's work is experimental, coherent, enquiring and technically adept. She combines a humorous enquiring skepticism with a sincere interest in the nature of materials."

Braun: "Debates about the definition of "mosaic" typically revolve around the types of tesserae used. Person A thinks the sharpened ends of colored pencils qualify; Person B thinks they don't. In Mosaic Without Any Tesserae, I decided to explore what would happen if that point of contention were removed from a work altogether."

Note: Ms. Braun was selected for the EIP 2011 by both Bernice Steinbaum and Biggs & Collings.

CaCO3, Italy

Movimento n. 7 Two panels 40 x 50 cm

Gold leaf tesserae and black mortar.

Movimento n. 7 Detail

Biggs & Collings: "In their statement, this artists collective makes clear why and how they have arrived at an interest in issues of form. We would be interested to see them build on some of the issues their work seems to raise – those of the history of the medium and material resources."

CaCO3: "The space (created by the mosaic) has so many systems to be read, it appears that the mosaic suggests changes of view for its contemplation, that it is a living mechanism prompting interaction between itself and the observer."

Cynthia Fisher, USA

To Everything There Is A Season 25 x 33 in

Vitreous glass, unglazed ceramic, stained glass, broken pottery, rocks, smalti, mirror, grout as element

To Everything There Is A Season Detail

Biggs & Collings: "Cynthia's work is full of potential . . . There is something particularly interesting in seeing her achieve pictorial depth and complexity without using traditionally sumptuous materials."

Fisher: "For this work, the goals were; to lay the tesserae horizontally while directing the eye vertically through color and value choices; to depict the chaotic color of fall without the use of realistic elements; and to use larger stained glass shapes, integrating them seamlessly with the smaller bits."

Mona Magdi Kenawy, Egypt

Memories 35 x 50 cm

Volcanic stones, mother of pearl, colored plaster.

Memories Detail

Biggs & Collings: "She seems interested in the nature of materials – issues of colour, tone, surface and reflectivity. It is pleasing to find an artist capable of addressing this area with confidence and clarity."

Kenawy: "The abstract design creates simplicity and a sense of unity between contrasts. Although Memories was executed in a small size, its effect has been remarkable for many viewers."

Note: Ms Kanawy was selected for the EIP 2011 by both Ms. Steinbaum and Biggs & Collings.

Ilana Shafir, Israel

Hanging Gardens 24.8 x 47.24 x 2 in.

Hand-made ceramic pieces, ceramic gragments pottery shards, natural and cut stones, pebbles and shells.

Photography by Giora Shafir

Hanging Gardens Detail

Biggs & Collings: "The work of Ilana Shafir is ambitious, carefree, and confident. It is not slavishly technical, but neither is it sloppy. She seems interested in technique to just the right degree."

Shafir: "When I began working on this mosaic, I created an island of flowers but, for some reason, I placed this island in the middle of the board. Its central location provided for a hanging effect, thus inspiring the idea for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Note: The Exhibition in Print was a huge labor of love for Bill Buckingham, Michael Welch, and myself. We are, quite frankly, damned proud of it. It has always been the purpose of MAN to promote the art form as one equal to the other media referred to as "fine art." With the 36 pages devoted to the Exhibition in Print and additional stories about artists working at the top of their field, we think the 2011 edition of the magazine is a strong embassador for the emerging brilliance of the contemporary mosaic scene.

To order your copy of Mosaic Art NOW 2011, click here.

Enjoy – Nancie

Emma Biggs www.emmabiggsmosaic.net
Matthew Collings www.emmabiggsandmatthewcollings.net or Matthew Collings on Facebook
Jo Braun www.jo-braun.com
CaCO3 caco3.tumblr.com
Cynthia Fisher www.bigbangmosaics.com
Mona Magdi Kenawy www.mona-kenawy.com
Ilana Shafir www.shafirart.com