Friday, June 21, 2013

Mosaic Designer And His Methods

By Lila Barry


A modern mosaic designer work for both religious and secular institutions. One of the most famous modern mosaics is the one executed by Edward Burne-Jones for the St Paul within the walls Christian church in Rome. What has also happened is that mosaics have developed into a popular art and craft, not limited just to pros.

In our times, the designer has liberated himself from the shackles of tradition and is more inclined to experiment both with materials and forms. Thus tiles are of stone, glass, ceramic, bead, terracotta and even photographs. Also, it is significant to note that traditionally, mosaics have been elements of architecture. But the modern artist uses his art on a wide variety of day-to-day objects such as park benches, guitars and bicycles.

The art form is now a part of street art. The French designer known as Invader, uses small, traditional tiles to create 8-bit video game characters. He has also invented another style which he calls Rubikscubism in which he uses a double layer of mosaic via a grid shaped by Rubik's Cubes.

Portuguese pavement is a kind of two stone design that was invented and first used in Portugal, but now is common throughout the Lusitanian-speaking world. This style uses geometric patterns that can either be simple or complex. It is also used to execute figures in the modernist, abstract way.

Many of the cities in Portuguese-speaking countries do their pavements in this style. Portuguese pavement is related to older artistic forms such as Azulejo prevalent once upon a time across Spain and Portugal. It is a relatively recent development dating back only to the mid-1800s.

Modern artists use three basic methods, the first of which is called the direct method and in which the tesserae are stuck directly onto the receiving surface. Good for smaller projects for which the tiles are portable and easy to manipulate. The design come into being as the tiles are being laid, allowing the artist to make adjustments for color and tonality.

The second method is called the indirect method. It is suitable for very large projects, or projects that contain repetitive components or where site-specific shapes are required to be executed. In this, the tiles are stuck on face down to a backing paper which are subsequently transferred onto floors, walls or other craft plans. This method gives the designer time to redo his work on an area basis, which is necessary when one is working on large projects. Benches, Murals and table tops are some of the objects made by the indirect method as it gives a smoother, more even finish.

The double collateral method is also keenly followed by artists as it gives them the opportunity to have the design in front of them while it is being laid. In this, the tiles are first glued on face up on a clinging surface as they would be once finished. As the mosaic gets done, another medium is laid on top of it. Then, the piece is turned topsy-turvy and finally set up as in the indirect method that we have already spoken about. The double indirect method requires skill and the mosaic designer would have to rely on an able and experienced craftsman to carry out his project.




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