Mosaics in History

Each of us most likely has a memory of creating a sand castle made exquisite by embedding of bits of shell in its walls, the arrangement of beads or buttons in colorful patterns or even the old school art project of dyed pasta arranged into shapes or pretty designs. We are all fundamentally mosaic artists because mosaic design reflects nature and how we see it. Newspaper and magazine photos are composed of lots of little colored dots, and digital photography is an arrangement of pixels or more colored "tiles".

The use of mosaics follows the history of human beings. Earliest civilizations decorated their boats, homes, gardens, roads and walkways with small bits of shell or stone in patterns sometimes colorful, sometimes intricate in design. The making of a mosaic, taking small pieces of permanent materials and forming them in abstract or representational designs is one of the earliest and most permanent art forms. Early mosaics usually had a utilitarian purpose: to strengthen a mud wall, to make permanent a floor or pave a walkway. However, early craftsman went far beyond utilitarian function and created works of art that have lasted millennia and continue to astound modern viewers and inspire modern artists.

The first mosaics were probably pebble walkways. There were many practical reasons to pave a dirt path with stone: it kept down the dust and mud, made the surface more permanent, and was more comfortable to feet. However, responding to the human urge to create order and design, the early artisans patiently created beautiful patterns with the paving pebbles and stone. One can still enjoy ancient pebble walkways in China and Europe, created with different colored and shaped stones arranged in intricate patterns.

Five thousand years ago in ancient Babylon, or what is today Iraq and Syria, the Sumerians took mosaics off the ground by pressing colored clay cones into mud plaster walls. The original purpose for these mosaics was to strengthen or make permanent the walls, but design and beauty may have become the more important reason for their creation. Triangles, zigzags, and geometric shapes were the prominent design elements, probably reflecting basketry and weaving patterns.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/uruk/ho_L.1995.48.2.htm#

The Greeks, in the fourth century BC, made use of tesserae, small pieces of stone cut to uniform size and shape. Realistic representations of people, animals and scenes were created with colored tesserae. Beautiful, dramatic mosaic floors and walls were created in private villas and public buildings during this period.

A Mosaic Near You

No matter where you live, chances are there is a mosaic near you. The urge to make patterns from small pieces is a universal trait, so a patient mosaic artist has probably been at work at some time in your locale. I'd like to document mosaic works by state, and if you would like to photograph a mosaic from your area, I'd love to put it on this website and will give credit to the photographer.

ALABAMA: Ave Maria Grotto, Cullman, Alabama http://www.avemariagrotto.com/

TENNESSEE: Fannie Mae Dees Park, 2400 Blakemore Ave., Nashville, also called Dragon Park. Pedro Silva created this undulating sea serpent in the late 70s. A clown, mermaid, lyre, and, of course, a guitar are some of the images on the dragon, reminiscent of Antonio Gaudi's Park Guell.