Monumental Mosaic Projects

Mosaics were used in the antiquity to decorate private and public monuments. 

Neptune & Amphitrite, Herculanum, Italy

We know a lot about the daily life in the Roman empire through mosaic representations of it.

Bread oven, St Romain en Gal, France

Our modern XXth century also saw a number of outstanding, monumental realizations. The Park Guell in Barcelona, Spain has inspired several parks such as the Garden of Tarot in Tuscany and the Mosaic Courtyard in St Petersburg, Russia. In France, self taught artist Raymond Isidore litterally covered his family's home with mosaic.

These realizations are not just single pieces of Art, they are monuments. Most of them were realized by one single individual.

Park Guell: Barcelona Spain - Gaudi

Park Guell - Columns room

Il Giordani dei Tarocchi - Tuscany - Italy - Nikki de Saint Phalle

Il Giardino - Fountain.

Mosaic Courtyard - Saint Petersburg, Russia. Community project.

 

St Petersburg Mosaic Courtyard

Maison Pique assiette - Chartres - France . Raymond Isidore.

Mason Piquassiette - Entrance

I have contemplated the concept of  monumental mosaics for 2 years.

In 2014 and 2015, I have given mosaic workshops that enabled me to experiment with techniques; in 2014 I participated to an International mosaic signs project coordinated from Germany by Caroline Jung.  These experiments demonstrate that :

• Huge mosaics can be created by patching together numerous small pieces. 
• A great number of people can easily be taught how to make these small mosaics.

Practically, beautiful monumental mosaics could be created by communities of people working together. 

Such project would belong to these communities. Each person who works at a common piece of Art feels they own it.

As a work of art, such project would add value to the community. As a community project, they would help reinforce the cohesion of this community: people who work and create together get to better know and appreciate each other. 

Through Art, we can help a number of young people realize that creativity is not just for Artists with a Capital "A" and that they too can be creative. I am confident that this will later translate in more creativity , not only in Art, but also in sciences, engineering or commerce...

It can be done... Let's do it !

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. I share my passion in my newsletter, as well as the work of other more modern mosaicists working with traditional or non-traditional media. I enjoy teaching about mosaics and believe Art can be a very powerful way to stabilize and reinforce the cohesion of communities. 

You can see my own mosaics on my site at mosaicblues  If you are interested by my ideas and my work or would like to drop me a line please contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

 
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Spring Mosaic Workshop, Adult class

Last march I gave a Kids mosaic class at the Wiregrass Museum of Art.

The kids had realized small (6 x 6") mosaics following the pattern of the Solomon knot.

Last May 9, I gave a similar class for a group of adults.

 They realized a same type of Solomon knot, only bigger (10 x 10").

The purpose of these 2 classes was more technical than creative. I wanted to show people how they could make their own mosaic. 

I also wanted to show how you can create a direct method mosaic on a mesh, which you would later be able to glue on a rigid - flat or curved - support.

Practically, the mosaics were realized by gluing on a fiberglass mesh small precut square glass tesserae. The fiberglass mesh was laid on top of a printed model, and the small glass tesserae glued on the mesh, following the pattern underneath it.

At the end of the class, the mosaics were left to rest for 48 hours, the time for the glue to set. 

On May 12, I separated the mosaics from their models. 

This piece is flexible and can be gently rolled. 

I clipped the mesh around them,

And lined them up together. 

See how beautiful this turns out to be ! These mesh mosaics could now be glued on any support. 

Can you imagine us getting hundreds of them ?  We could cover a whole wall, a column, a whole house, a statue...

And this, my little friends, we shall further discuss in the course of this year...

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see my own mosaics on my site at mosaicblues. 

If you are interested by my work or would like to drop me a line please contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

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Mosaic Glasses

Last October I introduced to you Dolce & Gabbana's 2013 collection inspired by Italian Byzantine mosaics.

In 2014, the same company introduced on the market a collection of eye glasses frames decorated from Millefiori glass.

Here is a lovely, very well done video about these. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. I share my passion in my newsletter, as well as the work of other more modern mosaicists working with traditional or non-traditional media.

You can see my own mosaics on my site at mosaicblues  If you are interested by my work or would like to drop me a line please contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

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Spring Mosaic Workshop - Kids class

On Friday March 27, we held a Children mosaic workshop at the Wiregrass Museum of Art.

I believe Artists have a responsibility to help others be creative. Too many kids are being told they cannot be creative, that Art is useless and for weirdoes,  that they should rather concentrate on having a real job... And making money.

And there is nothing wrong in making money. Without entrepreneurs, few things would be achieved in this world, and Art could not flourish. 

But guess what ? Do you remember the names of those people who were making money 500 years ago? Take the Italian Renaissance, the 16th century. They invented modern banking. Entrepreneurs from Genoa and Venice invented financial instruments such as the letter of credit, and this really was the beginning of the finance industry. Do you remember these guys names ? I don't ! 

But you probably know the artists they helped finance: Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, etc...

This why Art is important. Art is what you SEE. And tomorrow's Art will be done by today's children. 

That is why I teach mosaics ! 

For a few weeks I prepaired the class. My goal was simply to get people to realize how mosaics were done. Technique rather than the creative aspect, so I had pre-designed some models.

And we would use square tiles we would not need to cut !

Material for the 6' Solomon Knot mosaics

The models were square variations of a classic Roman mosaic pattern : the Solomon knot.

Aquileia Basilica, Italy

At 9:00, all 9 students were presents, most of them chaperoned by an adult helper, and after a short introduction, we proceeded with the actual work.

I had decided to use laminated models for this projects, so the students built their mosaics on a fiberglass mesh, which would be later transferred onto a wooden piece.

Mosaic is a work of patience and accuracy, we were using 3/8" glass tiles glued on the mesh with regular white glue.

The students ranged from 7 to 13 years old. Most of them were accompanied by an adult. Who seemed to enjoy the class as much as their kids !

It is amazing how you can at such a young age already see great differences of personality in the way children organize - or not - their works, prioritize certain tasks or simply go for it !

We had 2 different models of Solomon knot, and used 6 different colours of tiles.

It took most students a little more than 2 hours to complete the project. At the end, the pieces were warmed up with a Hair-dryer to speed up the gluing process.










After they were complete, I collected the 9 pieces on their laminated support .

9 complete mosaics on their models.

and transferred them on their wooden support. 

9 complete mosaics on wood.

Some students had modified the designs, and it is a good thing ! Life would be boring if everyone would look the same ! Moreover, the point of such a class is not to realize a perfect piece, but to get the student to enjoy themselves. If you insist too much on the end result, you will probably lose all pleasure at doing anything. And the key to doing things well is to enjoy doing them...

I am a modern mosaic artist inspired by the Arts of Classical Rome and French and Italian Renaissance. I design and realize my mosaics in Headland, Alabama, and St Valery sur Somme, France. I hope this kind of action can help young people realize they too can be creative and that art is not some far away thing, only accessible in Museums but that they too can be artists and enjoy it.

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You can also see more of my work at mosaicblues.com.

Pomegranates, le 8 Mai !

Today is the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. I just wanted to say it. A great number of people died on all sides. A lot of blood and tears were shed. We should remember and honour their lives and death.

My Pomegranate tree is progressing... Yesterday, I completed its blue background. Just this very background took a full 15 hours of work... Very tedious, but well worth the pain ! 

So the main pattern - the Tree itself, is complete. Truth is, the piece is not complete ! I still have to enhance it with the outside border of the niche: a floral vine with green leaves and branches, and red and cream flowers. 

 

The background of this vine will be of-white, contrasting beautifully with the blue background of the Tree.

Pomegranate should be complete in June, and flying to France later this summer.

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see my own mosaics on my site at mosaicblues. 

If you are interested by my work or would like to drop me a line please contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

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