I learned the Roman and Byzantine technique, not only in how the stones are
cut or the cement is mixed. But also the way they thought, how to make the
mosaic clear and harmonic through giving importance to the spaces between
every mosaic piece, and creating direction, movement or stillness through
the way the
mosaic pieces flows.
Mosaic is very suited to create environments such as walls and floors.
Many of my mosaics could easily be adapted to a big surface such as a wall
of swimming fishes or a sky filled with stars.
I often imagine them on an entire wall as I do them. But since mosaics by
necessity are heavier than a painting, larger mosaics are better done for
designated places or made directly on the wall, ceiling or floor.
Inspiration
Inspiration can come from anywhere, sometimes through stillness and other
times
through activity.
For me, being close to the sea always brings me balance, through watching
the horizon
thoughts that are more limitless gain space, and surface.
Mosaics can be made of almost any material, I choose to primarily use stone
and glass due to their innate quality and the power they transmit.
The timelessness of stone gives the images a presence that is hard to mimic
with manmade materials.
An example of how a mosaic is made
Below I present the work that goes into making a mosaic.
Producing some sketches
I do several scetches for every mosaic in order to determine which material I
need and what dimensions of the work is most suitable
Preparing material & building the frame
After having selected the material and the various shades to use, I roughly
decide the dimensions I will cut the material. The mosaic also needs a frame
to contain it, I do the wooden frames myself and most of mosaics use these.
I sometimes also use metal frames if it is a better fit for a specific
mosaic.
Making the mosaic
There are many options on how to carry out the work. Which method to use,
depends on the dimensions of the mosaic being made. One way is, as displayed
on the pictures, to make the mosaic in sections. For smaller mosaics, I finish it in one go.
The mosaic is finished
When the assembly of the mosaic is done the concrete needs to dry slowly, so
the mosaic is kept humid until it has set.
Thereafter, depending on the mosaic, the gaps between the pieces can be
painted for a more striking look.
After this, the mosaic is finished!
