Cleo Mussi is a true original taking an innovative path to expressing her own ideas, by creating gestural, figurative mosaics from repurposed ceramic tableware. Working within the folk tradition, Cleo creates elegant, decorative and political pieces that incorporate the inherent properties gleaned from patterns, marks, forms, colour and text into a world of contemporary narratives. These works reflect modern ideas, with both humour and a lightness of touch. Cleoa s work ranges from small intimate pieces to large scale installations of up to 100, life-size works; her mosaics are in private collections worldwide, as well as in many public spaces throughout the UK.

Transform areas and items in your home into beautiful works of art! Eye-catching and a lot of fun to do, this introductory guide to mosaic art (literally) covers everything, from window sills, wall murals, and coffee tables to flower pots, picture frames, trays, and so many more decorative pieces for both the home and garden! With 16 beautiful projects to create, supply lists, step-by-step photography and captions, helpful tips, and everything you need to know about the materials, tools, and techniques to make colorful works of art, this is the go-to guide for starting a brand new hobby in mosaics!

This title features 25 exciting projects to create, using glass, tiles and marble. The ancient art of mosaic-making celebrated in inspirational designs and practical projects. It offers complete step-by-step instructions for 25 original and innovative mosaic projects. It features a gallery of inspirational examples of the finest mosaics from contemporary artists. It is a comprehensive guide - from getting started to advanced designs - with everything you need to know about materials, tools, adhesives and how to use them, and all the techniques you will need. It is the definitive modern approach to a traditional craft. It is a fascinating approach to mosaics, shown in over 300 specially commissioned photographs, which clearly illustrate each stage. Mosaic-making is a classic art that uses marble, vitreous glass and smalti. As well as using traditional materials, mosaics can be made with crockery, tiles, mirrored glass and metal. It is this versatility, as well as its decorative qualities, which makes the craft so appealing. The principles of mosaic-making are easy to master, and this book gives practical advice on all the basic techniques. A comprehensive introduction details all the materials you will need to produce exquisite mosaics, from the traditional to the contemporary, including expert advice on adhesives and tools. There are 25 exciting projects to create, including stylish and functional objects as diverse as a patterned firescreen, an abstract table top, an Aztec-style trinket box, a Roman-influenced urn, and many other original decorative accessories. With innovative projects and instructional photography, this volume is both a visual source book and practical reference guide to an exciting craft.

Roman geometric patterns radiate symmetry and order. Drawing the patterns is not just a question of mechanically copying the work of someone else square by square, but of understanding the underlying structure. The patterns are built up from simple elements which seem to 'grow' and develop in an almost organic or living way. This book is arranged as a series of drawing exercises. There is no better way of appreciating the skill and imagination of those artists than by drawing their designs yourself. To 'feel' how a cross 'grows' into a swastika pattern which then 'grows' into a complex interlocking design is something which can only be experienced at first hand. This second edition incorporates the same "drawing led" approach to learning about the subject and as such is invaluable in using the designs for contemporary mosaic, or pattern, design. New photographs and updated text strengthen this approach further. Ideal for schools, shops in or near Roman remains, and historical and art/design sections of shops.

A practical project book for 37 indoor and outdoor mosaic pieces, ranging from furniture, frames, pots and other accessories for the home. The projects featured are contemporary but timeless and each project requires the minimum of specialist equipment, artistic ability, time and money.

This book covers the development of mosaics in Britain from the invasion to the end of Roman Britain. The technical side of the art form is covered as well as prefabrication. It covers those mosaics based in towns as well as more rural locations. Many of the mosaics have been lost but are recorded in coloured engravings. The author has a large collection of illustrations of both existing and lost mosaic pavements. The uniqueness of some British depictions of such well known characters as Orpheus are also explored here. Reconstructions by the author of some sections of figured mosaics based on examples found elsewhere in the empire are included. The author's recent work on the newly discovered Boxford mosaic, that is the most important mosaic found in Britain for over 50 years, is explored here for the first time. Anthony Beeson is the former archivist of the Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics, a member of the board of trustees of the Association for Roman Archaeology and The Roman Baths Foundation, a prolific writer of papers on Roman art and architecture and has lectured on the subject of Roman mosaics.

This study compares text/image interaction as manifested in emblem books (and related forms) and the modern bande dessinee, or French-language comic strip. It moves beyond the issue of defining the emblematic genre to examine the ways in which emblems - and their modern counterparts - interact with the surrounding culture, and what they disclose about that culture. Drawing largely on primary material from the Bibliotheque nationale de France and from Glasgow University Library's Stirling Maxwell Collection of emblem literature, Laurence Grove builds on the ideas of Marshall McLuhan, Elizabeth Eisenstein and, more recently, Neil Rhodes and Jonathan Sawday. Divided into four sections-Theoretics, Production, Thematics and Reception-Text/Image Mosaics in French Culture broaches topics such as theoretical approaches (past and present) to text/image forms, the question of narrative within the scope of text/image creations, and the reuse of visual iconography for diametrically opposed political or religious purposes. The author argues that, despite the gap in time between the advent of emblems and that of comic strips, the two forms are analogous, in that both are the products of a 'parallel mentality'. The mindsets of the periods that popularised these forms have certain common features related to repeated social conditions rather than to the pure evolution over time. Grove's analysis and historical contextualisation of that mentality provide insight into our own popular culture forms, not only the comic strip but also other hybrid media such as advertising and the Internet. His juxtaposition of emblems and the bande dessinee increases our understanding of all such combinations of picture and text.

This title offers stylish ideas for decorating your outside space with over 400 stunning photographs and 25 step-by-step projects. You can transform an outdoor space with inspirational mosaic designs from leading contemporary designers; illustrated with 400 step-by-step photographs and artworks. It features 25 original projects, graded by difficulty, which can be completed in several hours or a over a weekend. It combines practical chapters on making mosaics with detailed instructions on the tools needed, materials, techniques, grouting and finishing, together with design tips and information on planning and siting your work. It includes decorative new ideas for the patio and garden, including urns, bird bowls, number plaques, boules, tables as well as large-scale mosaic installations. Easy-to-follow instructions show how to produce stunning visual effects by mixing glass, mosaic tesserae, tiles, broken crockery and pebbles. The principles of mosaic making are easy to master and this book gives you all the practical advice you will need on the basic techniques and materials, including concise information on the adhesives and tools required. Adding a mosaic will add life and interest to a garden path, transform a patio or cheer up dull old walls. The book contains over 25 exciting projects to create, graded by level of difficulty, and including jazzy china tiles, bright flower pots, cheery wall motifs, an elegant urn in classical style, a stunning glass garden table and a striking metal and tile pond. Each project details the tools and materials needed, with comprehensive instructions, step-by-step photographs and templates where required. This beautiful book will enable the reader to design and make your own mosaic projects to enhance any outdoor space.

Saints and Spectacle examines the origins and reception of the Middle Byzantine program of mosaic decoration. This complex and colorful system of images covers the walls and vaults of churches with figures and compositions seen against a dazzling gold ground. The surviving eleventh-century churches with their wall and vault mosaics largely intact, Hosios Loukas, Nea Moni and Daphni in Greece, pose the challenge of how, when and where this complex and gloriously conceived system was created. Using an interdisciplinary approach, Connor explores the urban culture and context of church-building in Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire, during the century following the end of Iconoclasm, of around 843 to 950. The application of an innovative frame of reference, through ritual studies, helps recreate the likely scenario in which the medium of mosaics attained its highest potential, in the mosaiced Byzantine church. For mosaics were enlisted to convey a religious and political message that was too nuanced to be expressed in any other way. At a time of revival of learning and the arts, and development of ceremonial practices, the Byzantine emperor and patriarch were united in creating a solution to the problem of consolidating the Greek Orthodox Byzantine Empire. It was through promoting a vision of the unchallengeable authority residing in God and his earthly representative, the emperor. The beliefs and processional practices affirming the protective role of the saints in which the entire city participated, were critical to the reception of this vision by the populace as well as the court. Mosaics were a luxury medium that was ideally situated aesthetically to convey a message at a particularly important historical moment-a brilliant solution to a problem that was to subtly unite an empire for centuries to come. Supported by a wealth of testimony from literary sources, Saints and Spectacle brings the Middle Byzantine church to life as the witness to a compelling and fascinating drama.

In the Greek Classical period, the symposium-the social gathering at which male citizens gathered to drink wine and engage in conversation-was held in a room called the andron. From couches set up around the perimeter, symposiasts looked inward to the room's center, which often was decorated with a pebble mosaic floor. These mosaics provided visual treats for the guests, presenting them with images of mythological scenes, exotic flora, dangerous beasts, hunting parties, or the spectre of Dionysos: the god of wine, riding in his chariot or on the back of a panther. In The World Underfoot, Hallie M. Franks takes as her subject these mosaics and the context of their viewing. Relying on discourses in the sociology and anthropology of space, she presents an innovative new interpretation of the mosaic imagery as an active contributor to the symposium as a metaphorical experience. Franks argues that the images on mosaic floors, combined with the ritualized circling of the wine cup and the physiological reaction to wine during the symposium, would have called to mind other images, spaces, or experiences, and in doing so, prompted drinkers to reimagine the symposium as another kind of event-a nautical voyage, a journey to a foreign land, the circling heavens or a choral dance, or the luxury of an abundant past. Such spatial metaphors helped to forge the intimate bonds of friendship that are the ideal result of the symposium and that make up the political and social fabric of the Greek polis.

This collection of drawings and watercolours of the mosaics and wallpaintings of early medieval churches in Rome forms an important part of the paper Museum, since it sheds much light on the nature and scope of antiquarianism in Italy at the time of the Counter-Reformation. The drawings and watercolours catalogued and illustrated here are all in the Royal Collection, Windsor Castle, and are mostly by the artist Antonio Eclissi. The reproductions are generally in full colour, and frequently accompanied by illustrations showing the actual decoration in situ. The introductory essays outline the important phases of Cassiano dal Pozzo's career, discuss the history and significance of the 'Paper Museum', and explore the Christian tradition in seventeeth-century Rome. The Catalogue Raisonnee analyses each drawing in the greatest detail. This volume, the first to appear in the series, will be of special interest to archaeologists and medievalists engaged in the study of Rome's Early Christian churches, since many of the buildings, mosaics and paintings are now no longer extant. This collection of drawings and watercolours of the mosaics and wallpaintings of early medieval churches in Rome forms an important part of the Paper Museum, since it sheds much light on the nature and scope of antiquarianism in Italy at the time of the Counter-Reformation.

Expertly crafted from thousands of tiny and intricately arranged pieces, micromosaics appear at first glance to be miniature paintings. Closer inspection reveals the extraordinary skill of the virtuoso makers, who were able to create exquisite images brimming with drama and atmosphere. Focusing on 30 highlights from the V&A's superlative Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection, which includes some of the finest examples of micromosaics made, this new book explores the technical aspects of micromosaic construction, its roots in antiquity, their incredible popularity in the last quarter of the eighteenth century, and their evolution through the nineteenth century until the technique virtually vanished in the early 1900s

A leading figure in contemporary art since the early 1970s, Chuck Close is internationally renowned for his monumentally scaled portrait paintings, based on photographs. Close likes to push the boundaries of different techniques, processes and materials, working with various collaborators to achieve his vision. His first public artwork, Subway Portraits, featured a series of 12 mosaic and tile artworks, was commissioned by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Arts & Design program in 2017. This book presents Chuck Close's new series of mosaic artworks as well as related works, such as prints, tapestries and photographs. It also documents the production process of these works by fabricators Mosaika Art and Design and Magnolia Editions, as well as the 12 works they produced for the 86th St. Subway Station at Second Avenue in New York City. Text in English and Italian.

Founded in 1847, Franz Mayer of Munich is one of the world's foremost studios for mosaics and stained glass. Dedicated to the restoration of historic works as well as the execution of contemporary projects for artists and architects worldwide, the family-owned company is widely lauded for its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality. Generously illustrated, "Franz Mayer of Munich" takes readers on a tour of the company's long history, from its genesis as a fine arts manufacturer to the establishment of a stained glass department in 1860 and the period of rapid growth and expansion--including the opening of branches in London and New York--that followed. In 1925, a mosaic department was added and the company began honing its expertise in these areas, enabling ever more ambitious rebuilds and restorations. In addition to the company's history, essays and photographs provide insight into Franz Mayer of Munich today, documenting projects' development and realization. Works by Franz Mayer of Munich can be seen in public spaces all across the world, but there have been few accessible books about the company. This book fills that gap and will be welcomed by those interested in learning more.

An indispensable compendium of technical know-how and troubleshooting tips Just like having a mosaic tutor on call 24 hours a day-this book is packed with handy, time-saving tips and technical knowledge to improve your skills, speed up the learning process, and give your unique mosaics a professional finish. Easy-to-follow step-by-step techniques, photography, and illustrations. Handy, professional quick fixes and solutions for commonly encountered problems. Advice on what to buy and how to use the tools and materials-from ceramic tiles to pebbles, shells, and beads. Tips on design: finding ideas, drawing outlines, order of work, and adding eye-catching details.

In the times when the Ukrainian art sphere was regulated by the Soviet institutions, local monumental and decorative arts existed at the frontier of the Party's propaganda and the artistic thirst to experiments. Nowadays, Ukrainian mosaics are wrested out of the architectural context of the country in both literal and metaphorical ways. The artworks are liquidated from the buildings they were specifically created for and indiscriminately despised as ideological pieces of no value. Furthermore, in legal terms mosaics are not defined as objects of art that makes them unguarded in the face of the decommunization process. Initially incepted as a guide, this book is an equally beneficial companion for the journey through space (in the context of the geographical area of modern Ukraine) and hitchhiking through time (in terms of Ukrainian cultural history). It incorporates the selection of Ukrainian mosaics which undermines the simplified perspective on the Soviet art heritage in Ukraine. The volume is generously supplemented with unique photographs of the documentary photographer Yevgen Nikiforov who continues the research, initially presented in the book Decommunized: Ukrainian Soviet Mosaics (2017). Together with the art historian Polina Baitsym who reveals striking linkages of the mosaics' plots with broader historical context, he will guide you through the testimonies of the genuine creativity of Ukrainian monumental artists which managed to flourish on the most infertile soil.

This book first examines the figure of Orpheus in Graeco-Roman art and culture before exploring how he has been employed in late antique mosaic. Wide-ranging with lots of line-drawings and photographs.

The C4th Roman Rotunda church in Thessaloniki is the most important monument of the early Christian era. In this comprehensive monograph, Hjalmar Torp presents the findings of his life-long archaeological and iconographic research on the Rotunda. He explores the archaeological data, the various phases of the architecture, and the chronological issues of the monument. The nuanced descriptions of the mosaics, their colours and their techniques are based on a detailed scaffold review and survey. The iconography of the mosaics is then analyzed and interpreted in conjunction with historical and theological sources; the building of the palatine church and its sumptuous decoration is attributed to an initiative by Theodosius the Great. This slip-cased set of two books, abundantly documented and richly illustrated, is a unique testimony on the Rotunda. Volume One: text. Volume Two: Illustrations. 500 illustrations, many in colour. This book is only available in French.

Built on the southwestern coast of Cyprus in the second century A.D., the House of Dionysos is full of clues to a distant life-in the corner of a portico, shards of pottery, a clutch of Roman coins found on a skeleton under a fallen wall-yet none is so evocative as the intricate mosaic floors that lead the eye from room to room, inscribing in their colored images the traditions, aspirations, and relations of another world. In this lavishly illustrated volume, Christine Kondoleon conducts us through the House of Dionysos, showing us what its interior decoration discloses about its inhabitants and their time. Seen from within the context of the house, the mosaics become eloquent witnesses to an elusive dialogue between inhabitants and guests, and to the intermingling of public and private. Kondoleon draws on the insights of art history and archaeology to show what the mosaics in the House of Dionysos can tell us about these complex relations. She explores the issues of period and regional styles, workshop traditions, the conditions of patronage, and the forces behind iconographic change. Her work marks a major advance, not just in the study of Roman mosaics, but in our knowledge of Roman society.

In this book, Liz James offers a comprehensive history of wall mosaics produced in the European and Islamic middle ages. Taking into account a wide range of issues, including style and iconography, technique and material, and function and patronage, she examines mosaics within their historical context. She asks why the mosaic was such a popular medium and considers how mosaics work as historical 'documents' that tell us about attitudes and beliefs in the medieval world. The book is divided into two part. Part I explores the technical aspects of mosaics, including glass production, labour and materials, and costs. In Part II, James provides a chronological history of mosaics, charting the low and high points of mosaic art up until its abrupt end in the late middle ages. Written in a clear and engaging style, her book will serve as an essential resource for scholars and students of medieval mosaics.

Ritual landscapes and borders are recurring themes running through Professor Kalle Sognnes' long research career. This anthology contains 13 articles written by colleagues from his broad network in appreciation of his many contributions to the field of rock art research. The contributions discuss many different kinds of borders: those between landscapes, cultures, traditions, settlements, power relations, symbolism, research traditions, theory and methods. We are grateful to the Department of Historical studies, NTNU; the Faculty of Humanities; NTNU, The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters and The Norwegian Archaeological Society (Norsk arkeologisk selskap) for funding this volume that will add new knowledge to the field and will be of importance to researchers and students of rock art in Scandinavia and abroad.

The potential of tomb mosaics as an academic resource has often been underestimated and consequently they have only been partially analysed not only in Italy but also throughout the Western Mediterranean. This work is intended to shed a new light on these finds, which are often incomplete, lost, or little studied. The first part of the book presents the history of previous studies on the subject and briefly explains the structure of the corpus. The corpus, in turn, is organised according to current Italian administrative regions, specifically: Sardegna, Sicilia, Puglia, Campania, Lazio, Marche, and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Every region is then further divided following current provinces and municipalities. This work does not aim to present merely a compilation of data in a catalogue; thus the second part of the book focuses specifically on tomb mosaics found in the Italic peninsula and major islands, and provides information on their geographic distribution, dating, typology, place of discovery and iconography, and considers the potential identification of individual workshops. The purpose of the book is to bring tomb mosaics to greater consideration, since they have not survived in academic literature to the same extent as did their rich villa or domus counterparts. This work does not therefore aspire to be a complete analysis of the subject, but rather a starting point which can be both useful and a stimulus for future studies. ITALIAN DESCRIPTION: Il mosaico funerario e una particolare tipologia musiva spesso sottovalutata e poco studiata. Le origini sono da ricercarsi, probabilmente, nell'antica regione della Bizacena, attuale Tunisia, a partire dagli ultimi decenni del III secolo d.C. Nel IV secolo inizio l'esportazione dei cartoni musivi funerari nel resto del Mediterraneo occidentale, raggiungendo l'Italia e la Spagna; in entrambi i casi pero il mosaico funerario non riscosse particolare successo. La richiesta maggiore di questo nuovo monumento funerario avveniva da parte dei cristiani, e solo in minima parte dai pagani. In questo libro si cerca di fare ordine sui mosaici funerari presenti nell'odierno territorio italiano, catalogando tutte le evidenze musive, sia oggigiorno scomparse che ancora in situ, per cercare di delineare un'analisi sul fenomeno che ha, in maniera seppur ridotta, investito la Penisola italiana e le sue Isole maggiori. Infatti le testimonianze musive si concentrano in zone dove particolari condizioni hanno permesso la loro messa in posa. La prima parte e dedicata al repertorio dei sessanta mosaici funerari dell'attuale Italia, ognuno catalogato secondo una scheda pensata e studiata per rendere piu agevole possibile la consultazione. La seconda parte e invece incentrata sullo studio d'insieme del fenomeno dei mosaici funerari in Italia, nella quale si cerca di fare chiarezza e dare dei punti fermi su questa categoria di mosaici. L'analisi conclusiva cerca di spiegare il perche in Italia, pur essendoci condizioni apparentemente favorevoli alla produzione delle coperture tombali musive, non si siano trovati che poche testimonianze musive funerarie se paragonate a quelle ritrovate nel Nord Africa e in special maniera in Bizacena.

The largest maps in the world are to be found in the floor of the Citizens' Hall, in the heart of the Royal Palace Amsterdam. The three circular mosaics, each measuring over six metres in diameter, together depict the known world and the night sky. They remain to this day an iconic and beloved part of the majestic palace, which was originally built in the mid-17th century to serve as Amsterdam's town hall. At that time, the city was the world's leading cartography centre. The prominent place of the floor maps relates directly to that primacy. This book tells the story of these unique maps and of the flourishing of cartography in Amsterdam in the 17th and 18th centuries.