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Vol. 1 No.4
Winter 2000
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Quarterly Newsletter of the Society of American Mosaic Artists
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Officers:
Janet Kozachek, President
Allyson Way Hank, Vice-President
Nathaniel Wallace, Secretary
Lia Catalano, Treasurer
Advisory Board:
George Fishman
Sonia King
Sven Wamer
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Contributors:
Professor Jean Ann Dabb is an art
historian and Chair of the Art Department at Mary Washington College in
Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Deborah Slaney is Registrar of the
Heard Museum in Phoenix. Arizona.
George Fishman is a mosaic muralist
in Miami Shores, Florida.
Sonia King is a mosaic artist in Dallas,
Texas.
Allyson Way Hank is a mosaic artist
in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
JoAnn Locktov is the author of The
Art of Mosaic Design and resides in
Mill Valley, California.
I
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DITTS
now 209 members strong and growing. Below is a geographic breakdown of
our members' location by country and state. California still leads us all since last count.
Welcome to Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada and Oregon, our newcomer states. The
sites of future exhibitions and conferences, along with board representation, may be
based on where most of our members reside. Do you have a small or a large SAMA
state? Encourage colleagues to join for a good showing in your state. Here are the
statistics:
Alabama l, Arizona 4, California 27, Connecticut 3, Colorado 3, Florida 15, Georgia 6,
Indiana l,Illinois 12, Iowa l, Kansas l, Kentucky l, Maryland 6, Massachusetts l,
Michigan 5, Minnesota 2, Mississippi 2, Missouri I, Montana l, Nebraska l, Nevada I,
New Jersey 10, New Mexico 1, New York 14, North Carolina 10, North Dakota l, Ohio
2, Oregon 3, Pennsylvania 10, South Carolina 12, Tennessee 5, Texas 20, Vermont l,
Virginia 4, Washington 5, Wisconsin 3.
Australia l, Canada 4, Egypt l, France 2,Italy 3, Puerto Rico l, Scotland
l.
Paula Macleod, of Durham, NC, has received an Emerging Artist Grant from the
Durham Arts Council for 2000-2001. Her grant will be used to purchase traditional
mosaic tools (hammer and hardie) and materials (smalti and marble) to create a series
of portraits of Billie Holiday.
Dugald Maclnnes has been one of seven mosaic artists to exhibit in the British Association
for Modern Mosaic (BAMM) Cutting Edge Mosaic Exhibition 2001. Mr. Maclnnes is
also exhibiting at the Gallery Forteviot in central Scotland.
Mr. Remon Samwel Wassif has recently completed two mosaic murals: "The Holy
Family in Egypt" in vitreous glass and gold smalti for the Holy Virgin Mary Coptic
Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, and a mosaic portrait of Dr. Rav. Samuel Habib for
the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services.
Sonia King exhibited a mosaic at the Congress of
the International Association for Contemporary
Mosaicists in Ravenna, Italy, and attended the
AIMC conference. Ms. King also presented a wellreceived slide lectrJre at the annual meeting of the
British Association for Modem Mosaics in London.
Three of Sonia King's pieces have been accepted
into nationally juried shows: one for Collage Artists
of America Open 2000 in California and two for
the Texas Artists Museum National.
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Arrrrr:r,Bs Soucrr!':
Do you create the same images you use in your mosaics in other media as well? If so, I
would like to interview you for an article for Vroz(lize. I plan to include illustrations of
the comparative pieces. You may e-mail me, Ellen Stern, at [email protected] if you have
questions or would like to be included.
II
Samwel Wasssif: The Holy
Family in Egypt
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0.
ttow can I
lDnor.ussroNAr,
get polished pebbles or marble tesserae to bond
in mortar?
A.
Generally speaking, a roughened surface
will bond better
than a polished one - - especially ifthe polished surface contains
wax or some other enemy of adhesives. Clean your materials
thoroughly and test bonding methods before undertaking a large
or important piece. If the "bottom" side or split inner faces of
polished stones are to be used as the finished mosaic surface, an
acid wash or light sanding of the polished surface (before cutting
Orrrtrr:nns
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ilInuBrilBs llrrrrr rl'llrtsrt'Ds:
Satly Bradley: www.SallYBe.com
Lia Catalano: www.hannacroismosaics.com
George Fishman: www.georgefishmanmosaics.com
Didier & Judy Guedj: www.mosaicsalltheway.com
Teresa
Higdon: www.mosaicos-usa.com
Sheri Hooton: www.mosaic-tile.cc
Gina Hubler: www.designimP.com
Stephanie
Jurs: www.twindolphinmosaics.com
Karen Kerschen: www.cybermesa.com./-mosaicsbb
King: www.mosaicworks.com
or shattering the stone) will help assure a good bond' After
Sonia
cleaning and etching or sanding (diamond-grit-impregnated hard
rubber pads are effective), standard stone tiles can be wet-saw
cut into narrow strips; tesserae cut from these strips will bond
Kathryn Luther: www.gallery4fargo.4mg.com/Lutherl.htm
well.
Similarly, sanding the "bottom" side of polished pebbles will
help assure a good bond. If the pebbles are placed deeply into
the thinset, a mechanical "grip" may be created by the thinset
"wrapping" around the pebbles' curves' so they cannot pull out'
(l.
polishea marble tesserae tend to scratch during grouting'
Should the use of polished stone and marble be avoided entirely?
Ken Knowlton: www.artists-NH.com/knowlton'htm
Aileen May: wrvw.mosaicarts.com
Rudolf Stalder: www.rst-art'com
Tammy Tennes: www.mosaiccreations'com
Ann Thompson: www.mosaicsandtileinc.com
John Urbaska: www.urbanaumosaictile.com
SAilIA llo,rnrr 2001
/ drying. A "light hand" and minimal
the abrasive effect of any grout' After
reduce
will
scrubbing
As the Society of American Mosaic Artists moves into the year
2001, we are looking for dedicated individuals to pass our torch
on to. We will soon review applications from interested individuals
who will assume responsibility for /srozlliae. SAMA desires
a balanced board including mosaic artists, writers, educators,
patrons of mosaic art, and people with non-profit board experience
such as fundraising. Interested persons-please send a brief letter
damage has occurred, products called "color enhancers" can be
wiped onto the dry mosaic surface and will help restore the
original uniform color and sheen - - reducing or eliminating the
Attn: Nominatins Committee
Unsanded grout is SOMEWHAT less abrasive than sanded
or floor grout, but its use should be limited to thin joints' Use
of unsanded grout in wide joints often results in cracking of the
A.
grout during curing
of interest outlining appropriate experience to:
SAMA, P. O. Box 428,Orangeburg, SC 29116
visibility of scratches.
StllIA ilhiunnnsrrrl'
Q.
Are there any computer software programs that can help
design mosaics?
programs that simulate traditional drawing,
painting, and collage can help create graphic references for a
iraditional mosaic. Additionally, filters that are part of such
programs as Corel "Painter" and Adobe "Photoshop" can be
ipplied to a photograph or painted image to simulate the "look"
of mosaic tesserae. The images thus produced can be readily
emailed or printed out. CatTile Designs and other companies
A. Myriad graphics
Please detach and send with payment
SAMA
Box 428,
Orangeburg, SC 29116
P. O.
$25.00 for individual membershiP
$50.00 for business membershiP.
produce software that processes a given image (drawing or
photograph) into a gridded image for rendering into a gridded
mosaic. Software that specifically simulates the process of laying
out curvilinear courses of tesserae are available as well' The
only one I am familiar with is "Painter."
The mouse or a stylus is used to "paint" the tesserae' with
size, grout and color controls. The tesserae automatically "wedge"
when meeting existing tesserae, but it is still a slow and exacting
process to "paint" such a mosaic; think hours, not minutes' A
very realistic mosaic rendering can be created - - an artwork in
itself. As a guide in making a 3-D mosaic, this level of specificity
of each tesserae in the whole project is usually unnecessary, but
it's a great way to work out issues of color, scale, and "andamento"
(flow of tesserae) in critical areas of the piece.
Name:
Mr.( )Mrs.( )Ms.(
Address:
Phone:
Fax:
Professional
Other ( )
Artist( )Business( )Academic(
)
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by Frank Martin O 2000
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The antiquity of the mosaic medium underscores its value as an instrument of sociocultural communication. This technique, used by ancient Greek and Roman artists, and
llrissrir,
Memory Vessel from a private Collection
later brought to new heights of expression in the Byzantine era, has less formally
demanding expressive manifestations in the "new world" cultures. Among these is the
"memory vessel." A distillation from a multiplicity of African traditions, with some
infusions of European folk beliefs, the memory vessel, as produced by descendants of
transplanted Africans forced into slavery in America, may find its most direct ancestral
lineage in the traditions of the Bakongo peoples of Central Africa. The Bakongo often
used containers of various types in funerary practices as recepticles of spiritual forces
released at death. The burial vessels, often placed directly on the gravesite, were intended
to contain and assuage an unquiet spirit and prevent its potentially detrimental wandering
among the living.
In America, the use of containers and favorite objects on burial sites became a common
practice in much of the South Carolina lowcountry and in other areas of the South. Often
objects with shiny, bright surfaces were used at grave sites to offer a gleaming beacon
to the departed soul, guiding the spirit's way toward eternal rest. Thus, precious pieces
of china, bright buttons, mirror fragments and other broken materials belonging to the
deceased (which would have been ritually broken, in fact, to sever the link between the
spirit world and material reality) might be suspended in epoxy, cement, or other adhesive
with a container of some kind as a core, The conglomerate would be placed on a grave
or held in the home to contain the unquiet spirit. Other materials for inclusion in the
exterior matrix might be shells, bits of glass, coins, small bottles, especially if formed
from colored glass, and other detritus, which could be suspended in the adhesive. As
greater prosperity embraced the African-American community, and old-fashioned folk
practices became less desirable, the prominence of these home-made grave decorations faded, to be replaced with professionally carved
headstones and more conventionally "Western" funerary decoration. However, the tradition of including an ensemble that was the property
of the deceased on the grave site frequently offers information regarding the individual interred beneath these funerary objects. As
mosaic, the memory vessel is generally not characterized by subtlety of pattern or particularly innovative formal transitions. Instead,
individual vessels offer a spontaneity of appearance that brings delight with its improvisational character and sometimes unexpected
j uxtapositions of materials.
In general, an adhesive matrix is modeled about a core of tin, brass, glass, or ceramic, and into the matrix are thrust the varied materials
representing the "flash of the spirit. " The containers or vessels were placed on the graves because of vestigial beliefs carried over from
diverse African traditions, that the spirit world was white and watery. The objects were frequently broken in order to "free" the spirit.
The fragmented possessions, reconformed in the memory vessel matrix, paid homage to and simultaneously appeased the spiritual beings,
encouraging them not to interfere with the lives of the living. Consequently, the memory vessel is a powerful reminder of the belief
systems and traditions of those persons kidnapped from their African homeland and brought in bondage to America. In addition to being
intriguing objects in and of themselves, the memory vessel form, simultaneously, translates central issues of belief systems and cultural
ideals of a heretofore not very well understood aspect of what evolved into contemporary, African-American society. The memory vessel
provides an innovative testimony of the life of persons excluded from accepted Western-based ideas and ideals. These arresting objects
are valid and entirely appropriate as artistic, socio-cultural expression. Indeed, this form of the mosaic medium is a metaphor for the
inclusive and diverse nature of the "American mosaic" of cultures.
See John Michael Vlach, The Afro-American Tradition in Decorative Arts, (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1990), p. 145, for
an example of a shell encrusted memory jug, replete with small ceramic figurines, fragments of glass and other materials.
See Robert Farris Thompson, Flash of the
Spirit: African and Afro-American Art and Philosop,hy (New York: Vintage Press,
1984),
p. 139.
*
rlxNouNcrnrrrN'r's
x Our revised web site is up!! Many thanks are due to
Robert Kozachek for donating his services in designing this
site for us. Visit us at: www.scsu.edu/SAMA
The Society of American Mosaic Artists is pleased to
announce that we have been granted tax exempt status by the
Internal Revenue Service. This will enable us to apply for a
greater variety ofgrants and allow sponsors to make tax-deductible
donations to SAMA. We are especially grateful to our treasurer,
Ms. Lia Catalano, for all her hard work in this endeavor.
* We also wish to thank our vice-president, Ms. Allyson WayHank, for her follow-up paper work, which expeditiously enabled
us to obtain non-profit bulk mailing rates.
*
E
Back issues of /rrrzllize are now available for $5.00 each.
We currently have-a limited supply of Spring, Summer, and
Autumn 2000. If you would like one or more of these, please
send check or money order to: Back Issues, SAMA, P. O. Box
428, Orangeburg, SC 29116.
Fnrlrunns
(cont.)
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bv Deborah C. SlaneY
In 1918, a young man by the name of C. G. Wallace and his wife, Katherine, arrived
inZuni Pueblo after a long journey by train from Ellerbe, North Carolina. InZuni,
Wallace landed a job as a clerk at the Ilfeld Indian Trading Company. By 1928, he had
opened the C. G. Wallace Trading Post and, for the next 36 years, he marketed and sold
Zuni jewelry to traders, tourists, and museums in the United States and Europe. Prior
to the 1975 auction of his private collection by Sotheby Parke Bernet, Wallace donated
Pin, 1940s
John Gordon Leak,Znni
Silver, jet, Blue Gem turquoise, coral
Height 3.6"
NA-SW-ZU-J.184
Courtesy Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona
Photographer: Craig Smith
more than 500 pieces to the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. This collection includes
a number of important jewelry styles including carving, casting, channei inlay, nugget
work, cluster, petit-point, needlepoint, and mosaic work.
Zuni mosaic work predates the introduction of silver working in Zuni Pueblo by
hundreds of years. Examples of early mosaic work were found by Zuni crew members
during the archaeological excavation of Hawikku Pueblo (occupied by the Zuni people
berween A.D. 1300- 1686), which was led by Frederick Hodge in the early 1900s. Small
pieces of turquoise, argillite, or shell were adhered ont.r backings ofjet' bone' stone,
wood, shell and even basketry. Often, surface material was carved away from the backings
so that the mosaic materials could be inlaid. Before the early 1900s' pine pitch was
commonly used as an adhesive. By the time C. G. Wallace arrived atZuni Peublo, dance
shells (turquoise-encrusted shells worn as necklace pendants) were often worn by those
ceremonies.
-participating in Shalako
Mosaic work quickly evolved in the 1930s from mosaic and inlay on shell to other
geometric and figural designs mounted on silver or temporary aluminum backings. Some
of th" figur"r were designed as jewelry, but others were designed to stand on a surface
alone or with other pieces in figural groupings. Some of the mosaic work was even
framed in silver and wall-mounted as two-dimensional art. Inlay was used as a decorative
embellishment in mosaic figures, representing body paint, embroidery and spots like
those seen on butterflies and dragonflies. As Wallace made new grinding tools and
equipment available to the jewelers, the patterns became more refined and complex.
Materials used in the mosaic patterns also began to include Mediterranean coral and a wide variety of turquoise, such as those from
the Blue Gem and Last Chance mines, which were available at the trading post.
Included in the collection are pieces made by Zuni jewelers Lambert Homer, Mary Kallestewa, John Gordon Leak, Leonard Martza,
Leo poblano, Dan Simplicio, Frank Vacit and ieddy Weahkee. Lambert Homer (1917-1972) worked at the Wallace post, but he also
made jewelry at home. He is most remembered for his brightly colored concha belts made with mosaic on spiny o1'ster. Hrs wife, Juanita,
helped with setting the stones. His grandson, Fabian, recalls, "He had different kinds of patterns
to work with, a doien or so. Most of the designs were given to him by certain people to make for
them." Mary Kallestewa (1915-1980s) was Juanita Homer's sister and worked in a number of styles,
including rnosaic overlay. Kallestewa's mosaic work often incorporated more traditional motifs,
including butterflies, tadpoles, and rain and cloud elements. She also produced mosaic w-ork that
was highly geometric, with stepped triangle motifs patterned after designs from pottery found at
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Hawikku Pueblo.
Very little is known about John Gordon Leak, except that his mosaic work was superb. His work
is believed to have been made as far back as the 1920s. Many of his mosaic designs were set against
a background ofjet, and possibly other materials like plastic from battery cases or phonograph
records. Leonard Martza (b. 1928) learned how to cut and polish stone as an employee of the Wallace
Trading Post in the middle 1950s. Martza was transferred to the curio shop at the De Anza Motor
Lodge in Albuquerque, where he made jewelry repairs in the 1960s. Martza has worked in a number
of styles, including mosaic and inlay. He is particularly known for his abilify to create mosaic pieces
in the style of the 1950s, and he currently works at the Old Pueblo Trading Post in Zuni.
Leo iroblano (1905-1959) was an accomplished mosaic artist who was a veteran of World War
II and served on the Zuni firefighting crew. Poblano was one of the first of these mosaic artists to
use relief carving to indicate texture and three-dimensionality in his work. Particularly impressive
are his mosaic Shalako dancers. Of his relationship with the traders, his daughter Veronica Poblano
relates, "He would go beyond; he would take their advice, but go beyond."
Dan Simplico (1911-1969) served in ltaly, Germany, and France during World War II. A skilled
carver and jlweler, Simplicio worked in a variety of styles, including mosaic set in cast silver, and
mosaic set with rough-cut nuggets and natural branch coral. Of his father's artistic ability, Dan
l'Fa-ily and economics were his inspiration. He had a diverse way of expressing
Simplicio, Jr. recalls,
his jewelry, possibly because of his exposure to the war."
Frank Vaiit (1915-1999) used bands of turquoise and shell to indicate geometric design fields
in his mosaic work. One of his most impressive pieces is a mosaic pin featuring the emblem of the
Bow Priest Society. Other designs include representations of Zuni and Hopi pottery.
@
Pin/Standing Figure, 1933
Leo Poblano, Zuni
Silver, mother-of-pearl, jet,
turquoise, white shell, colored shell
Height 4.75 ", NA-SW -ZU -J -302
Courtesy Heard Museum,
Phoenix, Arizona
Photographer: Craig Smith
FrirrrurrnS (cont.
Teddy Weahkee (c. 1890-1965) was an army veteran of World War I and alaborer
at Hawikku Pueblo. He has been credited with the revival of the mosaic and overlay
styles found on shell and wood ornaments from the site. By 1951, Weahkee was drawing
complex color sketches of his designs, which he copyrighted for exclusive use in his
jewelry.
Although Wallace provided materials and resources for the Zuni jewelers to produce
and sell their work, the forms and designs are uniquely Zuni. Some of the best examples
of their work, as well as those of their descendants, are currently traveling with the exhibit
Blue Gem, White Metal: Carvings and Jewelry from the C.G. Wallace Collection, which
was organized by the Heard Museum and curated by the author. Blue Gem, White Metal
is currently on display at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles,
California, until January 21, 2001.
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Diana Maria Rossi lives in the San Francisco Bay area and has been creating mosaics,
primarily in glass, for 11 years. Up until now, her work has centered on glass mosaics
that are small in size while being extremely expressive.
JL: After studying painting, photography, sculpture, drawing, stained glass and earning
your degree in printmaking, you've become a mosaic artist. Why mosaic?
DR: It is common when one goes to school at the San Francisco Art Institute that
you have to take all those classes in different areas, which is probably very good. My
education there was very typical and I was trying to figure out what I loved, and I stumbled
Pin, 1940s
Frank Vacit, Zuni
Silver, turquoise, coral,jet, colored shell
Diameter 2.5"
NA-SW-ZU-J-306
Courtesy Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona
Photographer: Craig Smith
I ll I I I ! I I I I I I t I I I I I ll I I I I I I tl
upon printmaking.
piecing things together,
fragments,
working
with
making,
I also found a way of working in collage which is very similar to mosaic
where
I combined drawing,
photo-collage
work
of
my
own
style
printmaking,
I
developed
In
instead of working with a unified whole.
color, and photographic imagery. To me, that is very much connected to mosaic making.
When I left the art institute, I made some presents for my friends. I had some old fragments of stained glass from a class I had taken
many years before. I had been reading about mosaic making while working in the library at the art institute. I decided to make these
p."r"ntr for my friends, and it was touch-and-go. I was using materials that I wouldn't use now, and I learned a lot. I made four mosaics,
and they were small, and it was kind of the beginning of what I do now, but in a very rudimentary form. I quit my job at the library
and didn't know what to do with my life. I had saved money so that I could live for about a year without working. I started to make
mosaics, thinking that maybe I could sell them. I was at a point in my life where I wanted to do something other than work in a library,
and I still had this strong inclination to make things. I had some luck, and I got better at it the more I did it. I can really attest to the
fact that a craft is something one learns by doing. I taught myself how to make mosaics, and I've learned a lot in 11 years, and you can
see the changes in my style. If you look at those first mosaics compared to what I'm doing now, there is very much of a difference.
That's how I began to make mosaics.
JL: You work primarily in glass; you sometimes weave in bits of other media, including
nails. What is your technique for working with glass?
DR: I started off with a box of scraps. At tines, I would buy a small piece. I didn't have
enough money to buy whole sheets of glass. Then I started buying scrap glass. In 1989'
since people were not making mosaics, you could buy scrap glass from stained glass stores
for maybe 50 cents to a dollar a pound. Now scrap glass is more like $3.00 a pound since
people are making mosaics from it. Since I worked so small, I could use the tiniest little
piece. I would pick up mirrors that I found on the street. I used auto safety glass that had
been smashed. Over the years, I've collected this palette of glass. I'd say about every 4
months, I go on a glass-buying outing. I go to outlying areas and find all different kinds
of glass. I learned a lot about glass just by keeping my eyes open. I've met glass blowers,
and one glass blower gave me boxes and boxes of little pieces of glass globules.
I'll use a glass cutter to cut a strip, and then I nip. I've had the same tool for 11 years it's my favorite tool; it has green handles.
If you saw my collages, you would see that I was combining photos, text, and drawing
around in 1980-81 . Now I can express myself so much better when I put a photograph in
or put in words. I discovered how you could use a clear adhesive and put words under glass
. . . I'u" been doing more and more of it. The nails happened when I was fooling around
with a heart idea. I've made over 600 mosaics, and probably over half of them have a heart
image in them. At one point, to keep this fresh (I was probably feeling angry), I started
hammering nails in the heart. There seems to be an affinity between glass and metal.
Something about the hardness of both of them-they seem to go together. Now I've started
E
"Lucciola. Lucciola" Glass Mosaic on Wood
IlrirlrunDs
(cont.)
to use beads. I just made two pieces that have glass beadwork on
them.
JL: You've mentioned that all your pieces have titles, and the
titles are an important part of each work. How did the inclusion
of titles become an integral part of your work?
DR: I saw a video about Thelonius Monk in 1992, and at the
end of the movie, they listed the titles of all the pieces (his work
is very abstract), and thby were these outrageous titles. Titles that
you could tell he was just riffing on words, and you could not
necessarily connect the title to the piece, and he didn't care! He
had one title called "Ugly/Beauty." In the trauma of graduate
school, I had made this print, and my adviser (who used to be my
friend) came in and looked at the piece. I was trying to combine
red, orange, and purple. He looked at it, and it was the day before
my final review, and he said, "That's ugly!" I cringed and died
inside, and I never forgot that. I thought, "what ajudgment to put
on those colors, poor colors, and on me! I love those colors." I
never forgot that, so when I saw this title called "Ugly/Beauty,"
and I saw the way he riffed on words and combined words with
abstract music, something in me went. wow . . . So I made a heart
that was orange and red and purple, and I called it "Ugly/Beauty."
Thanks, Thelonius.
JL: Another major theme in your work is portraits of women.
The images are at most only 12" square (some much smaller) yet
express volumes of emotion. Is there a special technique that
allows these glass faces to come alive?
DR: There's a certain part of the craft that is formulaic, in that
you learn a certain way of making a drawing for a mosaic-which
is called a cartoon drawing, which is a line drawing. It is like
drawing for a coloring book. So you need to get that down for a
face. Once I have the drawing made, my technique in working in
glass is to start with the eyes. You know how they say, "the eyes
are the windows to the soul"? There is some truth to that. An eye
makes a face come alive. I've learned from reading about portrait
painting in oil, you always make a glint in the eye. So I've found
a piece of mirror will make a part of light which makes the image
come alive.
JL: There remains an ongoing dialogue about mosaic work-
is it craft, or is it art? How do you categorize the mosaics you
create?
DR: What I take umbrage at is the arbitrary division that we
create. We use one division to exalt one aspect and one to put
down. So to me, it is so ridiculous; it is so artificially created.
The reason why I feel so strongly is that my art education was at
a school that refused to teach anything that could remotely be
called craft. If someone was painting in a way that was realistic
it
was called "illustration." I never
understood this because the culture that I come from didn't have
high-brow art. If someone in my family had ended up (as) an
illushator, that would have been wonderful. So what's so bad about
illustration? It seems to be a way of exalting the mind, the idea.
An idea is greater than what is made by the hand. There are some
people who just love to work with their mind, and that's just fine;
they should go on their merry way. But when we create these
divisions, and we say that one is greater or less than the other, it
makes me so angry because it is such a way of putting people
down. I don't understand why working with one's hands should
be inferior to working with one's mind, and if we free people up
from these divisions, we can create all kinds ofsyntheses ofthese
two things. I don't like to say if my work is art or craft because
the labels are derisive. I would really like to not call it anything.
When people ask me what I do, I say I make mosaics. They can
decide for themselves what to call it.
JL: How does glass satisfy your desire to create beauty?
(this was the early 80's),
DR: What I'm trying to do is show that what I like doesn't have
to be seen as low-brow or low-class or immature because I like
glittering objects. I often hide pieces of mirror in my mosaics and
the light will catch it in a certain way, and a rainbow will happen.
I like that there's a lively quality to glass, and I try to exploit the
glittery property of glass. That's one of the reasons I've stayed
with glass and hardly ventured into ceramic mosaic. I use glass
because I like glitter. I love bright colors.
JL: What does the future hold?
DR: A big different direction in the coming year because I'm
going to do a public art project for the city of Berkeley. It's going
to be big. Eight artists have been commissioned to do sidewalk
inserts. When it came down to talking about how I would make
my piece, they realized it might be too fragile for the ground, so
they're putting it on the wall. So sometime in the next year, I'll
begin working on it. There are a lot of hearts in it! But that's a
new direction for me, outside and bie!
llosrrrr: ilIAlDrBr/rL Sourrcns
Smalti/Vitreous Glass/Assorted Mosaic Tools:
Mountaintop Mosaics P. O. Box 653 Castleton, VT 05735
I -800-564-4980 www.mountaintopmosaics.com
Smalti/Vitreous Glass/Ceramic Tiles/Mosaic Molds:
Delphi Stained Glass
3380 East Jolly Road, Lansing, MI 48910
l-800-968-4420 Fax: I-800-1 48-031 4
Virtreous Glass/Mosaic Molds:
Ed Hoy's International
21625 Diehl Road, Warrenville, IL 60555
l-800-323-5668 Wholesalers to the Trade Only.
Encyclopedia Big Book available for $9.95
Smalti / Vitreous Glass/Ceramic TiIe/ Mesh Backing
Michele Petno
Wits End Mosaic 5224W. State Road 46
Suite 134, Sanford, Florida3277l
401 -323-9122 Fax: 401 -322-8552
[email protected] www.mosaic-witsend.com
Smalti/Pre-cut Marble Tesserae/Mosaic Tools:
Tabularasa Vale Scalo di San Lorenzo 40
Roma,
Italy
39-06-445001
O
Fax 39-06-4456760
E-mail: [email protected]
www.tabularasa.com
Smalti/Silver and Gold:
Angelo Orsoni
Cannareggio 1045
30121 Venice,Italy
Phone: 041 2440002-3
Fax:41-52407
Mosaic Stones that can be cut with scissors:
Tony Wolman
Mosaics of the World
90 Brookview Drive
Toronto, Canada MGA 2K6
Phone: 416 410-3413
Fax:415 785-7985
mosaics
@
total.net
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In conjunction with our first national exhibition, to be held at
the I.P. Star.oack Museum of South Carolina State University
during October - November 2001, SAMA member and curator
'
Frank Ma- r is organizing three panel-discussions on mosaic art'
The topics for these panels are: The Mosaic Tradition, Mosaic as
Community Expression, and Innovations in Mosaic De-
sign/Technique/lVlaterials. Abstracts for papers on these topics are
now being reviewed. For those interested in being on a panel and
delivering a twenty-minute paper at SCSU, an abstract of 250
words can be sent to:
Attn: Panel Review Committee
SAMA, P. O. Box 428, Orangeburg, SC 29116
The deudline
for receipt of materinls
Itlttt
is March 1, 2001.
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For a complete listing of mosaic classes taught by Gina
Hubler, consult the Design Impact Web Site:
www.designimp.com
Professor Marylin George
will
teach the
following class
this spring:
Subject: Mosaic Techniques and Construction
Date: April 29 to May 4,200I
Place: John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown,
North Carolina
Contact Information: Karen Beaty, program manager
our mosaics. Only the sumptuous lunches prepared by Martin
Cheek's charming wife, Margaret, were able to pull us away from
our engaging projects.
Martin Cheek is a very talented artist and a marvelous teacher.
His technical skill and creative ability are superb. His mastery of
the direct and indirect method makes for a wonderful learning
experience. The nicest part of the seminar was that the good results
were easily duplicated later at home. His techniques are simple
and effective with consistent results. His book, Mosaics in a
Weekend (reviewed in this issue) provided a helpful text for the
course. Martin Cheek's Mosaic Weekend was a wonderful way
to learn new mosaic skills while having terrific fun.
For more information contact:
Martin Cheek
Flint House, 21 Harbour Street
Broadstairs, Kent CT10 lET
Telephone: 01843 861958, Fax: 01843 8689912
or e-mail: martin @mosaicart-cheek.demon.co.uk
2001 Course Dates
Friday 2 - Sunday 4 February
Friday 30 March - Sunday l APril
Fridayl-Sunday3June
Friday 2 - Sunday 4 November
Cost for the 3-day courses is 180.00 British pounds.
Accommodations are available in Broadstairs in a range of prices.
lkxlrr
by Martin Cheek
New Holland,Ltd.,1997
ISBN 1 85368 9262 (hb) ISBN
1-8OO-FOLK-SCH
by Allyson Way Hank
filled with great ideas for projects that can be completed
in a few days time. With instructions for direct and indirect
techniques in a wide range of projects, this is a guidebook to most
of the traditional mosaic types. The projects use a number of
media including vitreous glass, smalti, pebbles, tile, and broken
china. His writing is clear and direct. His techniques are outlined
in detailed yet understandable form. Best of all, his techniques
With sweeping views of the lovely little village of Broadstairs
and of the sea, his home, studio, and charming garden are an
inspiration to the artist. Filled with mosaics of his own as well
with
a studio
work. The mosaics and technical illustrations are beautifully
photographed. Mosaics in a Weekend is a useful tool for the
filled with books on mosaics and art,
the artist is placed in the perfect creative situation.
People attended the seminar from all over the world. Some
were experienced mosaicists, and others were novices. We were
all there to learn new techniques and improve our skills. He taught
the indirect and the direct method simultaneously. This proved
to be most valuable because one could pick up great advice and
insight regarding both techniques.
Mr. Cheek began the seminar with a brief and very informative
history of mosaics. His lecture style is casual and engaging. We
were all eager to begin our projects and use his vast library. His
studio is filled with an impressively large and varied supply of
beautiful tesserae of every color and material one could imagine.
It was enough to make any artist eager to create. Cheek was an
endless source of design ideas as well as a wealth of technical
knowledge. He proved himself to be a master of the art of providing
individual attention while sharing knowledge with the whole
group. From Friday until Sunday, we worked at high speed on
85368 921 0 (ph)
Weekerul is
Situated on the beautiful Kent coast of England, Martin Cheek's
home and studio provide the perfect location for a weekend of
creative enjoyment and education. His home, Flint House, is a
beautiful eighteenth century stone house with charm and character.
as others, and
I
Reviewed by Allyson Way Hank
Martin Cheek, one of England's finest mosaic artists and
teachers, has created a lovely how-to book that will delight the
beginner as well as the experienced mosaicist. Mosaics in a
ilIanrrN (lnriun's lloslrcs rN A
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mosaicist and
a
pleasure to read.
!ltaa
by Katherine M.D. Dunbabin
Cambridge University Press, 1999, $135.00
357 pages,4O color plates, 318 B & W illustrations
Reviewed by Jean Ann Dabb
This excellent survey of ancient Greek and Roman mosaics is
the work of Katherine Dunbabin, Professor of Classics at McMaster
University in Hamilton, Ontario. She also wrote The Mosaics of
Roman North Africa, 1978. In the preface, Prof. Dunbabin states
a motive for her recent book: to fill a void in published scholarship
ID
that focuses on the history of individual monuments or regional
characteristics, but does not produce a wide-ranging synthesis of
lkxlrr lbir.rrnr' (cont.)
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the medium. Her study traces regional develorrments for wall and
floor mosaics and examines issues of technique and production
for the periods ranging from the late classical to the late antique.
Readers who have also viewed ancient mosaics in their original
contexts will appreciate Prof. Dunbabin's attempt to personally
examine the majority of works she includes in her study. She is
careful to describe the architectural contexts for the works and
provide detailed analyses of their formal qualities. The author's
descriptions of the domestic contexts for the majority of Greek
and Roman mosaics offer insightful glimpses into the private realm
of ancient life.
The book begins with the origins of pebble mosaics in the
Greek period, including famous works from Pella. Ten chapters
in Part I are devoted to regional developments in mosaics of the
Roman period. Prof. Dunbabin acknowledges that her aim was
"to bring out the nature and range of these regional variations
within the standardization imposed by the common technique."
This she does admirably in producing the most detailed and wideranging study published to date.
Part
II
addresses issues oftechnique and production. Contem-
porary mosaic artists will realize the value of Dunbabin's examination of materials and process, especially the layout and composition ofdesigns. She also includes a chapter on the repertoire of
ornamental motifs. The last chapter of the book covers the topic
of patronage and the evidence for commissions of both private
and public mosaics. Each chapter concludes with a bibliography
of sources intended for non-specialist readers, while experts will
encounter specialized sources cited in the notes. Maps and glossaries
(one of illustrated ornaments) conclude the study.
This book belongs in the library of any serious student ofthe
history of mosaics although its steep price may preclude purchase
for many interested readers. They are likely, however, to find it
available in our larger public and university libraries.
()rr,r, ltorr lNrtonrlrA'r'roN
We are short on information in the following areas and
appreciate contributions from our membership:
1. Galleries Exhibiting Mosaic Art
2. Mosaic
3. Mosaic
Classes
sites to see.
Member news and feature articles are also appreciated.
Please send all pertinent information to
P.
O. Box 428, Orangeburg, SC 29116
/,roztlize,
New Directions in Mosaic by Jane Muir with Elaine M.
Goodwin and Emma Biggs and students at the Chelsea
College of Art & Design
Reviewed by Sonia King
Jane Muir's new video is an interesting follow-up to her first
video, Mosaic as Art. Ms. Muir has been creating mosaics in
England for over thirty years, working for the acceptance of mosaics
as a fine-art medium. This video is a natural culmination of that
quest.
This is not a "how-to" instructional video, but rather an inside
look at the way three different artists approach the evolution of a
mosaic design. The first half of the video follows Ms. Muir's
creative process from the initial charcoal sketch to watercolor
study, and on to the selection of materials. Some might find the
sketching/painting discussion a little long, but I found this honest
revelation of thoughts and decisions that occur along the creative
path fascinating. This is a behind-the-scenes view of the artist's
studio and her working environment. The video spends a relatively
small amount of time on the actual making of a mosaic, but Ms.
Muir shows a great willingness to share her sources of inspiration
apd their development into a finished piece.
Next we visit Elaine M. Goodwin in her studio and learn about
her development as a mosaic artist. Ms. Goodwin's approach is
different but no less enlightening. She speaks eloquently about
her sources and her fascination with andamento. The examples
of her work are beautiful.
A visit to Emma Biggs and the bustling Mosaic Workshop
present yet another view of an accomplished mosaicist at work.
Ms. Biggs and associates specialize in pavements and large-scale
architectural mosaics. And this is done without sacrificing their
artistic sensibilities. Ms. Biggs speaks of aesthetic decisions made
daily about color, tone, scale, and more, while showing off largescale works in progress. It's all very impressive.
As a final treat, we look in on the Public Art & Design course
at the Chelsea College of Art. Instructor Oliver Budd discusses
various projects with students working in mosaic. A great variety
of work is shown.
This video will be of primary interest to the serious artist
working in mosaic. Ms. Muir has given us a unique opportunity
to understand the design-development process of some outstanding
mosaic artists.
The video is a new release in England and is available in NTSC
for US VCR's. Produced by Vidian, 3 Veldt House Barns, Ledbury,
HRS 2LJ, United Kingdom, e-mail: [email protected] Running
time is 60 minutes.
SAMA,
SAIIA
Box 428
Orangeburg, SC 29116
P. O.
E