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Sheila Campbell of the University of Toronto has a PhD in archaeology and art history, with a specialty in ancient and medieval mosaics.

Dr. Campbell solved one of the world’s mosaic mysteries in 1998 reuniting the fragments of the eternal lovers, Parthenope and Metiochos (known as the Romeo and Juliet of the ancient world) with the original mosaic in Turkey.

Dr. Campbell was also involved in the fight to preserve the treasures of Zeugma, Turkey which rival the splendors of Pompeii. She curated the “The New Mosaic: Selections from Friuli, Italy” an exhibition of contemporary mosaics from the School of Spilimbergo at the Royal Ontario Museum - Toronto, Canada in 2003.

Mosaic Art Source Archives - Mosaic Art School of Fruili Spilimbergo

Mosaic Art Source - Mosaic Art Focus February Newsletter


Dame Edna Everage Mosaic, Melbourne on Flickr - by JonathanDevlin

Who is Dame Edna?

Dame Edna Everage AD is a character played by Australian comedian Barry Humphries. As Dame Edna, Humphries has written several books and hosted various television shows (on which Humphries has also appeared as himself). In 1979, Dame Edna was the subject of a BBC Arena mockumentary: “La Dame aux Gladiolas”.

Dame Edna is known for her lilac-coloured hair (which she claims is natural) and over-the-top eyeglasses.

While Humphries freely states that Dame Edna is a character he plays, Dame Edna consistently denies being a fictional character or drag performer, and refers to Humphries as her “entrepreneur” or manager. Indeed, Dame Edna has frequently said that the thought of a man dressing up as a woman for entertainment purposes is repulsive.


Dame Edna Everage on Flickr - by James Cridland

Dame Edna’s Bio

According to Dame Edna’s autobiography, and to statements she has made, she was born Edna May Beazley in the (then) small rural town of Wagga Wagga, and started her stage career on December 19, 1955 as Mrs Norm Everage, an “average Australian housewife” from Moonee Ponds, a Melbourne suburb. When her husband, Norman Stoddard Everage, died of prostate cancer, Dame Edna became the founder and governor of a charity called Friends of the Prostate, and the creator of The World Prostate Olympics.

She spends her time visiting world leaders and jet-setting between her homes in Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Switzerland and Martha’s Vineyard. She is a friend and confidante of the Queen.

Dame Edna has three adult children: a daughter named Valmai (currently in a rehabilitation programme for shoplifters) and two sons, Bruce and Kenneth, whom she describes in a caricature of gay men, though she shows no awareness of their homosexuality. Dame Edna’s mother is incarcerated in a “maximum-security twilight home”.

Dame Edna is revered for her insights into her homeland. When asked why Australians are so good at sport she commented “Good food and diet; open air life; juicy steaks; sunshine - and the total absence of any kind of intellectual distraction.”

Dame Edna Everage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kylie & Russel Crowe Mosaic , Melbourne on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Smalti mosaic portraits depicting “100 Great Australian Entertainers of the Past Century”.


Píramo y Tisbe at Villa of Maternus - Carranque, Spain on Flickr - by stavlokratz

This mosaic is found in the sleeping room of the 4th century Roman Villa of Maternus - Carranque, Spain

Mosaic Art Source Archives - more mosaics from the Villa Maternus - Carranque, Spain

Pyramus and Thisbe?

The love story of Pyramus and Thisbe, not really apart of Roman mythology, is actually a sentimental romance. It is recounted by Hyginus (Fabulae 242) but is better told by Ovid(Metamorphoses 4). Pyramus and Thisbe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Thisbe and Pyramus with Typo paphos, cyprus on Flickr - by Ken and Nyetta

This mosaic at Paphos, Cyprus is particularly interesting because it depicts a rare (and enormous) “typo.” This is supposed to be a mosaic of the story of Thisbe and Pyramos — the story written down by Ovid from which Shakespeare adapted Romeo and Juliet and the story that appears as a sub-plot in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

In the legend, Thisbe and Pyramos are youths in Babylon whose parents dislike each other but who fall in love by talking through a crack in the wall between their homes. This mosaic is supposed to depict their fateful meeting that results in their double-suicide.

The problem with this mosaic is that rather than showing the Pyramos who committed suicide when he thought Thisbe had been eaten by a great cat (a leopard in this mosaic), the artist put in the river god Pyramos with his seaweed hair and horn of plenty. The mosaic artist probably did not know the story and was just working from a book of standard themes — and chose the wrong Pyramos to draw!

For a bit of fun check this out - Pyramus and Thisbe performed by The Beatles

Spicy tiles, originally uploaded by 27.

 

Spicy wall mosaic at Vij’s Rangoli Indian restaurant in Vancouver, BC

Mosaic Art Source - Vancouver Mosaics Archive

Mosaic Art Source - Canada Mosaics Archive

Warrior, originally uploaded by Infinite Ache.

Fist on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

What is the Woolaroc Museum?

The Woolaroc Museum presents one of America’s must unique displays of Western art and artifacts; Native American pottery, baskets, beads, blankets and cultural art; historical displays and one of the most complete collections of Colt firearms. It is one of the most outstanding western art collections in the world that also represents the culture and lifestyles of the people and peoples of America and the American West.

Woolaroc Ranch, Museum & Wildlife Preserve

 

 



Buddha Temple on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

32 m Buddha covered in gold mosaic tiles

Wat Indrawiharn - 11 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

goudenvoethttp://static.flickr.com/137/323029259_57e8a4fee5_m.jpg on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

standing buddha toes on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The 32-meter (100-foot) tall standing Buddha of Wat Indrawiharn used to be visible from just about any high vantage point around the old city. Now its hidden behind the new buildings from Thailand’s boom years.

The temple was founded by King Rama IV in the mid-19th century. The giant statue was built to house relics from Sri Lanka. The stairway up the side of the supporting structure is sometimes open, so that you can ascend to the Buddha’s shoulders to get an interesting view of this somewhat sleepy part of Bangkok.


Greek Orthodox Church at Madaba on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Madaba is best known for its superb, historically significant Byzantine era mosaics. Madaba’s most famous site is the Mosaic map in the 19th century Greek Orthodox St George’s Church. Unearthed 1864, the mosaic was once a clear map with 157 captions (in Greek) of all major biblical sites from Lebanon to Egypt. The mosaic was constructed AD 560 & once contained more than 2 million pieces, only 1/3 of the whole now survives.

6th century Madaba Map found during construction in 1898 of St George’s church, originally uploaded by anilegna.

Where is Madaba?

Madaba, مادبا, is a capital city of Madaba Governorate of Jordan, which has a population of about 60.000. Madaba is the fifth most populous town in Jordan. It is best known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, especially a large Byzantine-era mosaic map of Palestine and the Nile delta. Madaba is located 30 miles south-west of the capital Amman.

Madaba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

map portrays the physical charteristics of the Eastern Byzantine World… on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

including rivers, valleys, the dead sea & its neighbouring hills & towns… on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

the center piece is Jerusaleum, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

What is the Mosaic Map?

The Madaba Map is the oldest extant map of the Holy Land and is dated to the middle of the 6th century AD. It was discovered late in the 19th century, during an excavation and reconstruction of a mosaic floor in St George’s Church in Madaba, Jordan. The mosaic is a detailed map of Jerusalem as it appeared at the height of the Byzantine period. The map depicts some famous Old City structures such as the Damascus Gate, St. Steven’s Gate, the Golden Gate, the gate leading to Mount Zion, the Citadel (Tower of David), the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Cardo Maximus.

Madaba Map - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Madaba’s Jerusalem Mosaic Map on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

1029 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

the area depicted stretches from Tyre & Sidon to the Egyptian Delta & from the Mediterranean to the Eastern Desert on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

6th century Madaba Map - dead sea on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

Mosaic, originally uploaded by Brent73.

How were the mosaics found in Madaba?

The first mosaics were discovered, purely by chance, during the building of the new permanent dwellings using squared-up stones from the old monuments. The new inhabitants of Madaba, made conscious of the importance of the mosaics by their priests, made sure that they took care of and preserved all the mosaics that came to light.

The mosaic Map of Madaba was discovered in 1896; the findings were published a year later. This discovery drew the city to the attention of scholars worldwide. It also positively influenced the inhabitants who shared the contagious passion of F. Giuseppe Manfredi to whose efforts we owe the discovery of most of the mosaics in the city. Madaba became the “City of Mosaics” in Jordan.

The northern part of the city turned out to be the area containing the greatest concentration of mosaic monuments. During the Byzantine-Umayyad period, this northern area, crossed by a colonnaded Roman road, saw the building of the Church of the Map, the Hippolytus Mansion, the Church of the Virgin Mary, the Church of Prophet Elijah with its crypt, the Church of the Holy Martyrs (Al-Khadir), the Burnt Palace and the Church of the Sunna’ family.

The Madaba Mosaic Map is an index map of the region, dating from the sixth century CE, preserved in the floor of the Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George. With two million pieces of colored stone, the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns in Palestine and the Nile Delta. The mosaic contains the earliest extant representation of Byzantine Jerusalem, labeled the “Holy City.” The map provides important details as to its 6th century landmarks, with the cardo, or central colonnaded street and the Holy Sepulchre clear visible. This map is one key in developing scholarly knowledge about the physical layout of Jerusalem after its destruction and rebuilding in AD 70.

Other mosaic masterpieces found in the church of the Virgin and the Apostles and the Archaeological Museum, depict a profusion of flowers and plants, birds and fish, animals and exotic beasts, as well as scenes from mythology and everyday pursuits of hunting, fishing and farming. Hundred of other mosaics from the 5th through the 7th centuries are scattered throughout Madaba

Madaba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Virtual Trip through the Madaba Map Holy Places a fascinating trip through the Holy Places as they had been represented on the mosaic floor of the ancient church at Madaba (Jordan)

Gandi’s Room at Mani Bhavan on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Mosaic Floor in Ghandi’s Room on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Mosiac Tile at Mani Bhavan (Ghandi’s House) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Mani Bhavan (Ghandi’s House) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Mani Bhavan (Ghandi’s House) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!


Mani Bhavan (Ghandi’s House) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Where is Mani Bhavan?

Mani Bhavan, located at # 19, Laburnum Road in the Gamdevi precinct of downtown Mumbai, acted as the focal point of Gandhi’s political activities in Mumbai between 1917 and 1934.

The mansion belonged to Revashankar Jagjeevan Jhaveri and the Mani family prior to that, Gandhi’s friend and host in Mumbai during this period. It was from Mani Bhavan that Gandhi initiated the Non-Cooperation, Satyagraha, Swadeshi, Khadi and Khilafat movements. In 1955, the building was taken over by the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi in order to maintain it as a memorial to Gandhi, to his frequent stays, and to the political activities he initiated from there.

Gandhi’s association with the charkha (Hindi: Spinning Wheel) began in 1917, while he was staying at Mani Bhavan.

Mani Bhavan is also closely associated with Gandhi’s involvement in the Home Rule Movement, as well as his decision to abstinence from drinking cow’s milking in order to protest the cruel and inhuman practice of phookan meted out to milch cattle common during that period.

Mani Bhavan: Information from Answers.com

Thanks for the link Hbyerl :-)

Isaiah’s Throne, originally uploaded by John and Stacy.

 

Throne made of Darjit! named after Isaiah Zagar, who made the tile inside the circle.

Created by John Freed and Stacy Alexander
Institute of Mosaic Art
2006

What is DARJIT - an architectural sculpting compound produced by ALCHYMIA LTD which is also a finish plaster good for both interior and exterior uses. It is unique in that it can be applied as a finish plaster in a variety of thicknesses to get a Mediterranean adobe style soft organic look, rounding out corners, creating niches, arches, pillars, or whatever is in your imagination.

Alchymia - Darjit building Material - architectural sculpting compound

Spurt on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Mosaic, originally uploaded by boodat.

The mosaic in the fountain in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

DSCI0006 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The Vancouver Art Gallery fountain was installed in 1966 to commemorate the centennial of the union of the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia.

Vancouver Art Gallery from Robson & Howe

The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) is the fifth-largest art gallery in Canada and the largest in Western Canada. It is located at 750 Hornby Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its permanent collection of over 7,900 items includes more than 200 major works by Emily Carr and illustrations by Marc Chagall.

The VAG was founded in 1931 and had its first home in an art deco building on Georgia Street. In 1983 it was moved to its current location, a former provincial courthouse, after a $20 million renovation designed by the architect Arthur Erickson.

The VAG has 41,400 square feet (3,846 square metres) of exhibitionspace and nearly 8000 works in its collection, most notably its EmilyCarr collection. It has also amassed a significant collection of photoworks.

The Vancouver Art Gallery’s collection of over 8000 works of art represents the most comprehensive resource for visual culture in British Columbia. Established in 1931 with the founding of the Gallery, the collection grows by several hundred works every year. It is a principal repository of works produced in this region, as well as related works by other canadian and international artists.

To celebrate the Gallery’s 75th anniversary, the Gallery has published on on-line catalogue that features 75 works from its collection.

http://projects.vanartgallery.bc.ca/publications/75years

The VAG is currently located in the former main courthouse for Vancouver (See Supreme Court of British Columbia and British Columbia Court of Appeal). The original 165,000 square foot (15,329 square metre) neoclassical building was designed by Francis Rattenbury after winning a design competition in 1905. Rattenbury also designed the British Columbia Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel.

The design includes ionic columns, a central dome, formal porticos, and ornate stonework. The building was constructed using marble imported from Alaska, Tennessee and Vermont. The new building was constructed in 1906 and replaced the previous courthouse located at Victory Square. At the time, the building contained 18 courtrooms.

An annex designed by Thomas Hooper was added to the western side of the building in 1912. The Annex Building is the only part of the VAG that was not converted to use as an art gallery. It was declared a heritage site and retains the original judges’ benches and walls as they were when the building was a courthouse.

On the Georgia Street side of the building is the Centennial Fountain. This fountain was installed in 1966 to commemorate the centennial of the union of the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia.

Both the main and annex portions of the building are municipally designated “A” heritage structures.


Vancouver Art Gallery from Georgia Street

The steps on both the Robson Street and Georgia Street sides of the building are a popular gathering spot for protest rallies. The Georgia Street side is also a popular place in the summertime for people to relax or socialize.

Vancouver Art Gallery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

mosaic sculpture, originally uploaded by write817.

“Seoul is the capital and largest city of South Korea (Republic of Korea). With over ten million people living within its city limits, Seoul is one of the most populous cities in the world. However, with an area of only 605 square kilometres, smaller than cities such as London or New York City, it is one of the most densely populated major cities, like Tokyo and Hong Kong. Seoul’s population density has allowed it to become one of the world’s most digitally-connected cities. It also has more than three million registered vehicles which often cause widespread traffic jams.” wikipedia

060208 Stockholm Rinkeby T futhark, originally uploaded by xjyxjy.

Love the colours and the splendour of the golden mosaic here in the underground station of the poorest district in the whole of Sweden. The characters are the letters of the Old Runic Series. The runic alphabet is called “futhark” after the first six letters. TH is the single one letter “thorn”.

What are Runes?

“The Vikings are often portrayed as illiterate, uncultured barbarians who evinced more interest in plunder than in poetry. In fact, the Vikings left behind a great number of documents in stone, wood and metal, all written in the enigmatic symbols known as runes. They relied on these symbols not only for writing but also to tell fortunes, cast spells, and provide protection. Early Germanic tribes of northern Europe were first to develop runes, but the Scandinavians soon adopted the symbols for their own use. When the seafaring Vikings traveled to faraway lands, they brought their system of writing with them, leaving runic inscriptions in places as distant as Greenland. Wherever they went, Vikings turned to runes to express both the poetic (”Listen, ring-bearers, while I speak/Of the glories in war of Harald, most wealthy”) and the prosaic (”Rannvieg owns this box”), inscribing them on everything from great stone monuments to common household items.

The runic alphabet, or Futhark, gets its name from its first six sounds (f, u, th, a, r, k), much like the word ‘alphabet’ derives from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and beta. Each rune not only represents a phonetic sound but also has its own distinct meaning often connected with Norse mythology (see clickable alphabet at left). Scholars believe that early peoples used the runes originally as a means of communication and only later for magical purposes.”

NOVA Online | The Vikings | Write Your Name in Runes

Gary is fabulously busy, with multiple projects on the go but was sweet enough to indulge me, answering a few quick questions…

  • m.a.s. After you’ve finished a mosaic, do you ever see little things you wish you’d done differently?
  • Gary   All I see is all the things I should have done differently
  • m.a.s. Glad to know I’m not the only one, you have no idea how much better that makes me feel! ;-)

M.A.S. Mosaic Article - ‘Q & A’ with London Mosaic Artist Gary Drostle

Mosaic Art Focus - The Mosaic Art Source Newsletter

Basilica San Marco, originally uploaded by KittyCate.

“When thinking about Saint Mark’s Basilica, the first images that come to the minds of many people are those of the mosaics and their golden backgrounds. More than 8000 square metres of mosaic cover the walls, vaults and cupolas of the Basilica. Essentially Byzantine in its architecture, the Basilica finds in the mosaics its natural integrating element. The mosaic decorations were developed through some 8 centuries of the Basilica’s history.

They represent stories from the Bible (Old and New Testaments), allegorical figures, events in the lives of Christ, the Virgin Mary, Saint Mark and other saints. The mosaics, with their warm colours, particularly gold, decorate the ample spaces of the Basilica, from 28 metres wide up to 21 metres high. As in Middle-Eastern churches, the interaction of the decoration with a dim, but ever changing light, according to the time of day, creates a range of evocative and intense effects.

In the Basilica’s mosaics can be found the most significant evidence of Venice’s history, the ambitions, faith, languages and trends characterizing the evolution of its art. From its Greek-Byzantine origins to the local artistic expressions and the skills to represent and interpret other outside influences, up to the modern, quite difficult art of preservation and restoration of these precious and complicated works.”

San Marco at dawn virtual tour

Mosaic Art Source - Venice, Italy mosaic photo archive

space invader, originally uploaded by gab.

The famous ’space invader mosaic’ tag on the concert Palau in Barcelona

Invader is a street artist who pastes up mosaic characters from and inspired by the Space Invaders game, made up of small coloured square tiles. He does this in cities across the world, then documents this as an “Invasion”, with maps of where to find each invader.”

Space Invader is not your conventional graffiti artist. For one thing, he’s from Paris. For another, he works alone and doesn’t run with a crew. No spray paint, wheat-paste, or supersized Sharpie markers involved. This guy does mosaics — really beautiful, intricate tiles of video game icons (Toshiro Nishikado’s Space Invader, 197 8) — and they’re hidden all over the world. In fact, 106 of them are right here in L.A.: Nine of them live on the letters of the Hollywood sign and 15 more are planned around town before he concludes his visit. Our city is also the subject of his second publication, Invasion Los Angeles, which serves as a hip tour book complete with action photos and locations.

Invader has been doing this for nearly 10 years now and 80 to 90 percent of his outdoor pieces are still intact, he says, “unless someone has taken a hammer to it — I use high-quality materials.” He has been arrested many times, but skirts trouble for the most part by playing it cool. His philosophy is that he’s “leaving a gift to the city,” and who’s to say he’s not? Each piece is as meticulously recorded and planned as it is created and re-creations called “Aliases” (encased in resin, etched with the time, date and location of the original) are included in his gallery shows.” excerpt from LA Weekly.

The Mosaic Invader Reality Game - Urban Invasion Detected

Mirrors for Eyes, originally uploaded by Sam Fold.

These Mosaics are all located in Paris France and are just a few of hundreds located in many different cities. The majority are located in Paris, however. They are paste up by mosaic space invaders.

Park Guell, Barcelona “Gaudi Eye Candy”, originally uploaded by “M” Pearl.

The beautifully designed building in Park Guell. A hot day in Barcelona, Spain in September. Filling my heart with colour, design, architectural sights, imagining the difficulty of building in the era of the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. A memorable day.

Mosaic Art Source Gaudi photo archive & Parc Guell info

Park Guell, Colourful Mosaic Iguana, originally uploaded by “M” Pearl.

Gleaming in the Sun, this brightly colour iguana was exquisite to the touch. The colourful broken tile pieces put together so artistically - a masterpiece. 

Who was Gaudi? 

portrait of gaudi - mosaic artist  first portrait of Gaudi published in Spain - gaudiclub.com

Antonio Gaudi was “born in 1852 in Reus (Camp de Tarragona) and son of a copper maker from Riudoms, from childhood Gaudí was an attentive observer of nature and felt attracted to its forms, colours and geometry. In 1868, he decided to study architecture in Barcelona, in a college dominated by neo-classical and romantic trends. Thus, his first architectural pruduction swung between a reinterpretation of historical canons with oriental influence and the recovery of medieval events.

Despite his youth he received the first assignments from the ecclesiastic world and the bourgeoisie, who would always be his main clients. Among these, the Association of Devotees of Saint Joseph stands out as they commissioned him with the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Família (the cathedral of the modern Barcelona). Of equal importance was the industrialist Eusebi Güell, the best client and essential patron, who entrusted him with the construction of a palace, the curch for an industrial colony, some pavilions for his summer residence and a city-garden.

After his death in 1926, he and his work entered a period of ostracismm until the avant-gardist trends and the international movement recuperated his figure while presenting him as an example of modernisation and renewal of 20th century architecture.” excerpt from  gaudi 2002

fantastic virtual tour of Parc Guell & website Antonio Gaudi - Gaudi 2002

Mosaic Art Source Gaudi photo archive

blue wall bits, originally uploaded by kittyodoom.

Part of the mosaic attached to the outside of the AVAM. American Visionary Museum Baltimore, Maryland

Mosaic Art Source picassiette photo archive

Mosaic Art Source American Visionary Art Museum Mosaic Archive

Hendrix mosaic, originally uploaded by Kushmir Tukhas.

This mosaic is part of an exhibition, I think they are done by local artist Edi Mandala www.ostrakamosaics.com/ (I will have to check for sure) at the Sanctuary Cafe www.sanctuarycafe.co.uk in Hove, East Sussex.

Näckros, originally uploaded by mija larsson.

This is from the street market at Hornstull in Stockholm
Artists : Backa Carin Ivarsdotter and Monica Larsson.
The piece is called Miraculum and it’s 510 square meters. Probably the largest outdoor mosaic in Scandinavia

close up of the sidewalk, originally uploaded by efortuna.

pebble mosaic photographed in Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy

Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy - “occupies a beautiful position on the Gulf of Tigullio. Its attractive palm-fringed harbor is usually thronged with fun seekers, and the resort offers the widest range of accommodations in all price levels on the eastern Riviera. It has a festive appearance, with a promenade, flower beds, and palms swaying in the wind. As is typical of the Riviera, the town’s sandy, pebbly beach is packed with a party crowd in fine weather. Santa Margherita Ligure is linked to Portofino by a narrow road. The climate is mild, even in winter, drawing many retirees from northern Europe.

The town dates from A.D. 262. The official name of Santa Margherita Ligure was given to the town by Vittorio Emanuele II in 1863. Before that, it had many other names, including Porto Napoleone, an 1812 designation from Napoleon.

Santa Margherita Ligure became a tourist attraction in the latter half of the 19th century, drawing important visitors such as royal family members, important politicians, industrialists and international celebrities. The elegant villas and grand hotels encircling the Gulf, combined with remarkable natural beauty have contributed to making this a classic tourist destination. ” excerpt from pano views

Mosaic Art Source - pebble mosaic images archive

japan, originally uploaded by tiny slip of a girl.

mosaic entrance to a public toilet @ asakusa (i was going to photograph the entrance to the men’s but then i realised you could see right in to guys at the urinal)

“Asakusa is one of the few traditional quarters left in Tokyo. During the Edo period, it marked the Northern limit of the city. It was where the out-classed such as the prostitutes, yakusas and priests (as strange as it may seem) lived. Yoshiwara, the infamous pleasure quarter, was located in the Northern part of Asakusa, not far from Senso-ji Temple.In the Meiji era, it was in Asakusa that the first Western imported entertainment were tested. That is where the first public cinema opened, where the first Western operas were shown (at the Imperial Theater) and that the first music hall and striptease clubs made their appearance.

The most notable touristical attraction is the Senso-ji Temple (浅草寺). According to the legend, in 628 two fishermen found a 50cm high golden statue of the Buddhist goddess “Kannon” in the Sumida river. The county chief Haji Nakatomo errected a small construction to house the statue, which then became Senso-ji.” excerpt from Tokyo Guide


Sat’Agata Feltria - Arnaldo Pomodoro’s fountain, originally uploaded by Jazz Girl.

Arnaldo Pomodoro’s mosaic fountain, Fontana, Italy

Arnaldo Pomodoro - “was born on June 23, 1926, in Morciano, Romagna, Italy. From the mid-1940s until 1957 he served as a consultant for the restoration of public buildings in Pesaro, while studying stage design and working as a goldsmith. In 1954 Pomodoro moved to Milan, where he met Enrico Baj, Sergio Dangelo, Lucio Fontana, and other artists. His work was first exhibited that year at the Galleria Numero in Florence and at the Galleria Montenapoleone in Milan. In 1955 his sculpture was shown for the first time at the Galleria del Naviglio in Milan.

Pomodoro visited New York in 1956 and traveled in Europe in 1958. In Paris in 1959 he met Alberto Giacometti and Georges Mathieu, before returning to the United States, where he organized exhibitions of contemporary Italian art at the Bolles Gallery in New York and San Francisco. In New York the following year Pomodoro met Louise Nevelson and David Smith. He helped found the Continuità group in Italy in 1961–62. The sculptor traveled to Brazil on the occasion of his participation in the 1963 São Paulo Bienal, where he was awarded the International Sculpture Prize. A solo show of his work was included in the Venice Biennale of 1964. In 1965 he was given the first of many solo exhibitions at the Marlborough galleries in New York and Rome.The artist taught at Stanford University in California in 1966. In 1967 Pomodoro was represented in the Italian Pavilion at Expo ’67 in Montreal, and he received a prize at the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh. In 1968 he taught at the University of California at Berkeley; in 1970 he returned to Berkeley to attend the opening of an exhibition of his work that originated there and later traveled in the United States. During the late 1960s and early 1970s he executed commissions for outdoor sculpture in Darmstadt, New York, and Milan. In 1975 a Pomodoro retrospective was sponsored by the Municipality of Milan at the Rotonda della Besana. Pomodoro lives and works in Milan.” excerpt from Biography by Arnaldo Pomodoro

photos of Arnaldo Pomodoro’s sculptures

bowl, originally uploaded by schajie.

Photo taken at the Glass in the Garden Chihuly at the Missouri Botanical Garden  

The bowl is an example of Chihuly’s fabulously distinctive style. I know it’s not mosaic but if you’re into glass & in the area don’t miss this exhibit… http://www.mobot.org/chihuly/  his installations are mind blowing & it’s been held over til Jan.1 2007!

a bit from Dale Chihuly’s bio:

“A prodigiously prolific artist whose work balances content with an investigation of the material’s properties of translucency and transparency, Chihuly began working with glass at a time when reverence for the medium and for technique was paramount.  A student of interior design and architecture in the early 1960s, by 1965 he had become captivated by the process of glassblowing.  He enrolled in the University of Wisconsin’s hot glass program, the first of its kind in the United States, established by Studio Glass movement founder Harvey K. Littleton.  After receiving a degree in sculpture, Chihuly was admitted to the ceramics program at the Rhode Island School of Design, only to establish its renowned glass program, turning out a generation of recognized artists…”

For more of Dale Chihuly’s biography click here.

Tile detail, originally uploaded by lesliegardner.

Wat Phra Shingh Chiang Mai, Thailand

“Wat Phra Singh: located within the city walls, dates from 1345 and offers an example of classic northern Thai style architecture. It houses the Phra Singh Buddha, a highly venerated image, transferred here many years ago from Chiang Rai. ” for more on Chiang Mai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Mai

Mosaic detail, originally uploaded by lesliegardner.

Wat Phra Shingh Chiang Mai, Thailand

“Wat Phra Singh: located within the city walls, dates from 1345 and offers an example of classic northern Thai style architecture. It houses the Phra Singh Buddha, a highly venerated image, transferred here many years ago from Chiang Rai. ” for more on Chiang Mai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Mai

column detail, originally uploaded by lesliegardner.

Wat Phra Singh Chiang Mai, Thailand

“Wat Phra Singh: located within the city walls, dates from 1345 and offers an example of classic northern Thai style architecture. It houses the Phra Singh Buddha, a highly venerated image, transferred here many years ago from Chiang Rai. ” for more on Chiang Mai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Mai

mosaic floors, originally uploaded by schajie.

I believe this was taken at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, http://www.mobot.org/chihuly/  not sure if it was part of the Chihuly Exhibit.   For more info on Chihuly http://mosaicartsource.wordpress.com/2006/10/26/bowl/

Tricycle?, originally uploaded by phillip ino.  aka Francis Cruzada

or a bicycle, designed by committee. ;-)   Austin, Texas

“Seventy years ago, East 11th Street was Austin’s mecca for jazz. Amateur groups played at local parks on weekend afternoons, and legends Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Ornette Coleman played at eastside venues like Charlie’s Playhouse and the Cotton Club. Those great jazz joints may be a thing of the past, but the brass is alive again on the east side. It bursts forth in “Rhapsody,” a vivid and intricate mosaic mural by artist John Yancey.”

For the full article check out  http://www.utexas.edu/features/archive/2004/mural.html 

Hangin’ out, originally uploaded by phillip ino.  aka Francis Cruzada

“Seventy years ago, East 11th Street was Austin’s mecca for jazz. Amateur groups played at local parks on weekend afternoons, and legends Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Ornette Coleman played at eastside venues like Charlie’s Playhouse and the Cotton Club. Those great jazz joints may be a thing of the past, but the brass is alive again on the east side. It bursts forth in “Rhapsody,” a vivid and intricate mosaic mural by artist John Yancey.”

For the full article check out  http://www.utexas.edu/features/archive/2004/mural.html