Decorative Art

Mosaic

Mosaic is one of the oldest forms of wall (and floor) decoration that can be defined as a type of painting that is made without using paint. Due to the permanent nature of this art form, the monumental mosaics from the Byzantine, Early Christian, and Renaissance eras have survived the ravages of time far better than most other artworks.

Mosaic designs are created by placing small tiles or tesserae into a wet cement or lime-plaster surface. Most tiles measure about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (square) and are covered with a permanent glaze of opaque glass. Typically, the tile material itself is made of clay that has been fired in a kiln with a glaze coating. Mosaic segments are also made from glass, cut stone, ceramic, or other pieces of imperishable materials such as natural pebbles and shells.

Since glass is conchoidal (i.e., smooth, shell-like convexities and concavities) in structure, its fractured surface presents an irregularly smooth and glassy appearance when broken. It is these fractured facets of the tile that are often used due to their brilliant and sparkling effects. Gold tesserae are made by affixing gold leaf to the back of clear glass (or layered between two sheets of clear glass) and then fused together in a heated kiln. Larger-sized cut stone tiles were used in ancient Greek and Roman wall and floor mosaics.

There are two principal techniques for the setting of tiles into a mosaic tapestry of form and color. One method involves placing the tiles directly into a bed of wet cement or plaster. The other method is referred to as "mosaico a revoltatura." This process involves setting a section of the mosaic in a tray of dry, powdered material and then pasting coarse canvas over the tile tops. Next, the assembly is pressed into the wet cement wall (or floor). After the cement has set, the canvas is removed, and any excess cement is usually removed with hydrochloric acid.

Originally, plaster was used as an adhesive and as fill for the spaces between the set tiles. By the 1500's, a mastic material made from a linseed-oil compound was used to replace plaster. This mastic material was later replaced by an asphalt and coal tar compound. Modern varieties are now made from superior synthetic resins. Various types of cements, plasters, and waterproof mastics can be used, depending upon the application and environment in which the mosaic will exist.

The continuing popularity of mosaics is due, in part, to the public nature of this type of art and also to the concept of thousands of tiny elements merging into one massive image. The durability of materials also helps, and maintenance is fairly easy: If a tile falls out, it can be singularly replaced.

Most mosaics have been (and some still are) created by the same traditions of the earlier periods. Historically, master painters who were commissioned to paint frescos and murals also designed mosaics. These paintings were then given to a master mosaicist to be translated into a sweeping and accurate mosaic design.

Almost all of the steps that are still necessary today were developed and practiced by the original mosaicists. Before any actual mosaic work begins, a proportional rendering--called a cartoon--must be created to illustrate the mosaic design pattern and color range. This illustration helps determine how many tiles will be needed, how they are arranged, and what range of colors will be required.

In theory, the operations necessary to affix tiles to a wall pattern are simple and repetitive. What is far more complicated is the planning for all of the separate tiles (thousands, usually) that will be needed for the mosaic mural.

While the many thousands of tiles are being either handmade or purchased, the wall itself must first be prepared to receive the tiles. Once dry, a proportional sketch is made on the wall as a guide and then tiles can be attached, after they have been sorted into groups and prepared for adherence to the wall. After all mosaic work is finished, a finishing layer or sealant can be applied to help protect the work from the environment.

In practice, designing and building a mosaic wall requires an enormous amount of planning and coordination, and further details should be sought before any work begins. Also, an experienced mosaicist should be consulted before any major mosaic work is undertaken.

Recent trends in architectural styles have helped revive interest in both indoor and outdoor mosaic works. For example, the New York City subway system has, from its origin, incorporated many examples of mosaic and ceramic ornamentation into its design. By 1985, the Arts for Transit program was sponsored to help renew interest in public art.

As a result, new mosaic murals are being created in various New York City subway stations. One striking example is Elizabeth Murray's 120-foot-long Italian mosaic that is being created at the Lexington Avenue station and 59th St. Also, the late Roy Lichtenstein has a 57-foot-long "Time Square Mural" in porcelain enamel that is soon to be installed at 42nd Street.

Currently, supplies and facilities available to mosaic artists have become more widespread and standardized. Mosaics are a great way to brighten a public space or maybe just enhance the design of a home or yard. Whatever the application, mosaics are an effective medium to bring the form of art into a functional environment that can be lived in and enjoyed for many generations.

Art Marketplace

New Brushes

Daler-Rowney has introduced a new line of Petit Gris Artists'Brushes for watercolors, inks, and gouache. Made from carefully selected fine squirrel hair from the Kazan region of Russia, they are characterized by their perfect pointing and exceptional color-holding capacity. Select from a Flat Wash Brush, ideal for background work; Pointed Round Brush, good for broad strokes and fine detail work; Pointed Oval Wash Brush, perfect for broad to tapering strokes; and Pointed Wash Quill Brush, which is characterized by its superior point and color-holding capacity. See your dealer for Daler-Rowney's new Petit Gris collection.

In the Spotlight: Creative Edge from Fredrix Artist Canvas

The unique Creative Edge canvas from Fredrix has a clean staple-free edge so that artists can paint on all four sides, as well as the front (great for airbrush artists, too!). Instead of staples, a rubber spline holds the canvas snugly in place. Additional features include:

• Fredrix quality medium texture 100% cotton duck canvas.
• Tongue and groove adjustable stretcher bars, which can be pegged.
• Two coats of acid-free acrylic titanium priming.
• Fredrix archival seal of quality.
• Restretchable.

The Creative Edge is available in two styles: Gallery Style with heavy duty 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" stretcher and Traditional Style with standard 1-5/8" x 11/16" stretcher. Select from a wide range of popular sizes to suit your needs, and look for the appealing and colorful labels featuring an assortment of fine art by The Masters.

Competition

Purchase Awards Announced

A jury of artists, art educators and art community leaders will award over $12,000 in cash and products to five acrylic artists demonstrating creative use of color, concept and media through the Liquitex Excellence in Art Purchase Awards from Binney & Smith. Artists residing in the U.S. may submit a maximum of ten 2"x 2" slides of work done primarily in acrylic paint and completed within the last two years. Selected artworks will become part of Binney & Smith's permanent corporate art collection and be published in the December issue of Art in America magazine.

Submission forms may be obtained via the Liquitex Internet Web site at http://www.liquitex.com or by sending a SASE to: The Liquitex Excellence in Art Purchase Awards, 1100 Church Lane, Easton, PA 18044. Forms must be postmarked on or before Sept. 7 and received by Sept. 15.

Sculpture

A Little Art History: Louise Nevelson 1899-1988

In Western civilization, the art of sculpture has historically served a number of specialized purposes: It has acted as a medium for religious objects of worship; it has been commemorative, serving as a reminder of notable persons or events, or as a symbol of civic or national identity; and it has been used decoratively for architectural adornments.

It was not until the 1940's that artists such as David Smith pioneered sculpture into abstract forms that served no particular purpose but the enjoyment of sculpture itself. Additionally, sculptors started to use the many objects available within an industrialized world to compose these dimensional works of art. These included all manner of manufactured wooden objects, steel of all shapes and sizes, and just about any other type of modern relic that "clutters" society.

The concept of creating sculpture from many separate pieces (as opposed to starting anew with one form or medium) became known as "The Art of Assemblage." Among these pioneering artists, Louise Nevelson remains one of the most celebrated female sculptors in the history of American modernism. Her works are unique for her characteristic use of wood rather than metal, and for her architectural and domestic design rather than industrial composition.

Louise Nevelson created sculpture that combined a sense of architecture with the power of Dada to express herself. Multiplicity of meaning was important to Nevelson. She sought "the in-between place...the dawns and dusks" where one could sense the transition between one state of being and another.

Born in Kiev, Russia, in 1899, she moved with her family to Maine in 1905. Here, she began her training in music, painting, and the graphic arts. By 1920, she had married and settled in New York City and in 1929 began studying at the Art Student's League. When she traveled to Europe in 1931, she also studied with Hans Hofmann in Munich.

Her first sculptures were primitivist figures that were inspired by the African art that she had witnessed during her trip to Europe. When she later returned to the States, she worked as an artist for the Works Project Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project and achieved limited recognition through regular exhibitions in New York.

By the late 1950's, she started making assemblage sculptures of found wooden objects and forms, enclosing smaller compositions in shallow trays or boxes of varied sizes, and then joining the boxes to one another to form sculptural walls or screens. After construction, she would unify the busy edifices by painting them with a single color. At first, she typically used black or white paint, as in her "Dawn's Landscape XXI." Later, she experimented with using gold paint on her works.

The parts of a Nevelson sculpture and their interrelation produce the effect like viewing a side wall of an apartment building from a moving elevated train or looking down upon a city from the air. The chief inspiration for these types of works came principally from the immense growth and presence of the New York building industry. During these years, a large number of nineteenth-century brownstones were being routinely torn down and replaced with newer, more modern construction.

Some of this is evident in her "Sky City" work (wood, 1975), where she recycled pieces of moulding, laths, discarded balusters, and chunks of wood randomly joined together, all taken from buildings that had fallen into the hands of the wreckers. In it, some eleven boxes are stacked together with the found objects, along with other common items such as a boat oar, a wooden bowling pin, and parts of wooden furniture. The entire composition is painted flat black with no effort made to sand rough surfaces or mask nail or staple holes.

One of her more elaborate works is titled "An American Tribute to the British People" (wood, 1960). This piece is outstanding for its size (10' high x 14' wide) and its monochromatic use of gold paint. The overall compositional structure has a vertical feel with long narrow boxes fixed side-by-side in an upright position. Once again, found objects (mostly wood) are neatly arranged to form a balanced and aesthetic composite blend of line and form.

Nevelson's first solo exhibition was held in 1941 in New York City. By the 1950's she had finally received critical acclaim of her work after enduring years of poverty and little recognition. Major museums began purchasing Nevelson's wall sculptures in the late 1950's, and she was eventually recognized as one of the foremost sculptors of the second half of the 20th century. From the 1970's on, Nevelson additionally incorporated objects made from aluminum, Plexiglas and Lucite into her work.

Louise Nevelson continued with her work up to the time of her death in 1988. Whether found or manufactured, each of her sculptural bits or collage pieces seems to hint at another life where one can feel the aura of another time or place.

The first major retrospective of Nevelson's work was presented at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City in 1967. Now through September 13 at the Whitney, you may view the exhibition "Louise Nevelson: Structures Evolving," which examines her use of a wide range of media in both sculpture and works on paper.

Exhibitions

Summer is on the wane, but there are some exhibitions you can still catch while on vacation or before returning to school.

--Williamstown, MA: "Degas and The Little Dancer" - Clark Art Institute through Sept. 7. (413) 458-2302.

--Chicago, IL: "Songs on Stone: James McNeill Whistler and the Art of Lithography" - Art Institute of Chicago through Aug. 30.

--Salinas, CA: "This Side of Eden: Images From Steinbeck's California" - National Steinbeck Center through Sept. 13. (408) 753-6411.

--Blue Mountain Lake, NY: "The Art of Hunting and Fishing"; "Adirondack Faces: Portraits by Mathias Oppersdorff"; "Fair Wilderness: Art in the Collection of the Adirondack Museum"; and "Peopling the Adirondacks" - Adirondack Museum. (518) 352-7311.

--New York, NY: "The Art of the Motorcycle" - Guggenheim Museum through Sept. 20. "Fountains: Splash and Spectacle" - Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum through Oct. 11. "Rodin at Rockefeller Center" through Aug. 31; "The Jewelry of Louis Comfort Tiffany: Explorations of Color, Nature and the Exotic" - Tiffany & Co. through Aug. 29.

--Hannibal, MO: Normal Rockwell illustrations for "...Tom Sawyer" and "...Huckleberry Finn" as well as 300 Saturday Evening Post covers - Mark Twain Museum through Aug. 15.

--Philadelphia, PA: "Twenty Philadelphia Artists: Celebrating Fleisher Challenge at 20" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 13. (215) 763-8100.

--Washington, D.C.: "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth" - Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum through Nov. 1. Features props, models, characters, costumes and artwork from the original Lucas film trilogy. (202) 786-2122.

--Boston, MA: "Photoimage: Printmaking 60s to 90s" - Museum of Fine Arts through Sept. 27.

Framing

Photo Presentations Made Easy

Summer means vacations, picnics, parties and plenty of photographs to document the people and places we celebrate. If you are like many, you plan to take the time to assemble the photographs and place them in albums; but, given everyone's hectic schedule, this project seldom sees fruition. Consider that, even if completed, the photos may not be viewed often and become "historical documentation" rather than part of our everyday lives. Following are a few ideas on easy ways to use photographs as designer tools--part of the decor of our homes and work places.

Before the actual presentation is discussed, however, it might be good to mention one little-known fact about framing photographs. Most photographic paper, in the most simple of explanations, has a coating that is similar to plastic and becomes very sticky when exposed to moisture. If moisture is present, the photo will most likely adhere to the glass, causing irreparable damage if removal is attempted. Moisture might come from display near dampness, like in kitchens or baths, or it might be caused from rapid temperature changes. In extreme cases, mildew will form; and either way, your photo will likely be ruined.

To protect your photographs from permanent damage and to prevent such "sticky" mishaps, use some sort of elevator to raise the glass above the surface of the photograph. The easiest way is to use a mat around the photo to provide a thin area of air space between the photograph and the glass. If you do not wish to use a mat, as is often the case with small designer frames, use thin strips of balsa wood around the perimeter of the glass to raise it up above the photo's surface. Glue the strips to the back side of the glass, right at the edges. This is effective not only for photographs, but for any artwork that should be protected from direct contact with the glazing material and possible moisture trapping.

The most expedient way to get photographs out for viewing and sharing is to put them into ready-made photo frames. Choosing just the right frame to display your photos can be a challenge, considering not only the familiar traditional style of frames but also the vast array of campy, stylish and original "art" frames available. These choices give you the opportunity to create a real eye-catching and appealing display by choosing frames that can be coordinated into small groups on mantels, shelves, or small accent tables. No longer relegated to wall hanging, photographs have become decorator items and are right at home in any style of decor and in any degree of formality.

Current decorating magazines reveal that photograph groupings are a hot item. Mixing styles, colors and sizes is considered "the" way to go; but frame colors/styles that match and are used in a variety of sizes can be a very effective presentation as well--stylish and more formal than the "art" look of a mix.

If small designer frames are not your choice, you might prefer a traditional approach to displaying photographs. The use of multiple images within one frame has long been a favorite method of display. Ready-cut mats with multiple openings are available at any art supply store or framing center. They offer you an instant, no-measuring, no-cutting, no-fuss way to present a collection of your favorite images that can then be glazed and popped into a ready-made frame. Both quick and easy, this style of display is professional looking and simple, although somewhat limited because the openings are designed for general use and may not fit your photo layout.

You can design and cut your own multiple opening mats to exactly fit the shape and arrangement you prefer. This type of project offers some challenges, but with careful measurement, attention to placement, and care in cutting, even beginners can experience the fun and excitement of creating their own look.

TIP: When you draw your window locations on the back side of the mat in preparation for cutting, remember that you cut the mirror image. The front of your project will be reversed from what you measure, mark, and cut. So remember to set up your design on the back side of the mat in the opposite position from what you want it to appear on the front.

For some, photo frames sprinkled about may not be their style. More traditional wall groupings are popular, but many decorators are hesitant to plan such groupings because they do not feel comfortable with a group of mixed frames. Quick tips include:

• "Anchor" your grouping with at least one larger photo. Then pull in smaller pieces around this larger photo.
• Uneven numbers of framed works and asymmetrical placement offer wonderful visual appeal.
• The overall shape created by the placement of the framed photos can be even or have irregular borders.

Remember that uneven borders allow the collection to seem "active," while even borders give a planned and finished look to the grouping. Even borders are more formal.

Now you must consider how you will attach your photographs to the mat or backing materials, and you have many choices. Special acid-free tape can be used to attach the photographs behind the windows of any mat, and it can be carefully removed in the future, if desired. Or consider attaching the photos to a rag mat or acid-free foam core backing with acid-free photo mounting corners (available at art supply and craft stores). These are "peel and stick," cause no damage to the photo, and allow for easy removal and replacement. Special photo mounting adhesives are available in aerosol sprays, dry adhesive sheets and adhesive-coated mylar. Each is easy to work with and permanently attaches the photograph to the backing without bubbles or pillowing. So if future removal is important, it would be wise to consider a different form of mounting.

With these basic tips and suggestions, you are armed and ready to collect materials and get your photographs framed and displayed. Rotating photos can keep your images fresh and timely. Once you are set up, it's only a matter of opening the back of a frame and exchanging one picture for another. In the case of a multiple opening mat, if you have chosen a reversible mounting method, it is easy to change these images as well.

 Airbrush

Choosing a Spray Booth

You've made the decision to obtain a spray booth and need to know what to look for. The question to be answered first is, What are you going to spray? If your primary use is airbrush work with water-based dyes, you require good air flow and good particulate filters to capture the overspray, but the need for a good carbon filter is minimized. In spraying acrylics, however, the carbon filter should be dense and deep because acrylic solvents have strong odors.

In general, you must look for three things: air flow, particulate removal, and odor reduction. Air flow is determined by the fan system and should be at least 100 feet per minute across the face of the booth. This is the recommended standard for industrial paint spray booths.

Particulate removal is determined by the density and thickness of the filter medium. By and large, all multiple filter systems do an adequate job of removing particulate.

Odor removal, however, is more difficult. Even if you have an electronic filter, the use of carbon in some form is still required to remove odors. The thickness of the filter, the form of the carbon, and the quality of the carbon are all factors to be balanced. What materials you plan to spray should determine the importance of the carbon in the system. If you are spraying adhesives, fixatives, or paints, you need a carbon filter. The odors from these three sprays are generally quite noxious. From a health standpoint, this is the area that deserves the most attention.

The last consideration is the balance of the system. Air flow should match the filters, and the filters should match the material being sprayed. Study the ingredients of the materials you currently use. If the ingredients are not easily collected by carbon, maybe a switch to another brand will improve your environment.

 In a typical studio, the air quality may not be good even if spraying is not taking place (e.g. perhaps windows do not open), so many contaminants will remain in the environment. Open spraying of aerosols or airbrushes can greatly increase the amount of indoor pollution, and the spray booth will remove most of this contamination and significantly improve cleanliness.

In summary, there are three things a spray booth should do:

1. Have sufficient air flow to assure that the sprayed particles are drawn into the filter system.
2. Be able to filter almost 100% of the particles over 10 microns to assure a clean environment.
3. Have a carbon-type filter, preferably of activated carbon granules, to filter odors.

If a spray booth does not have all three of these, the total effectiveness will be reduced. See your retailer for further information on the systems available.

ArtPorri

Prize Winners Announced--The Japan Arts Association has announced the winners of the 10th Praemium Imperiale for outstanding lifetime achievement in the arts. Winners, including Robert Rauschenberg (U.S.) in painting and Dani Karavan (Israel) in sculpture, will receive approximately $110,000 from this annual award.

Court Makes Ruling--The U.S. Supreme Court recently decided to uphold a decency test for Federal arts grants. The law requiring the NEA to take "decency" into account when making grants to artists does not violate the first amendment. The question of who will determine "decency" remains.

Millions for Monet--At a recent auction at Sotheby's, London, a painting by Monet set a record for the artist's work. "Waterlily Pond and Path by the Water" sold for $33 million, more than three times the estimate.

Statues Dedicated--The Irish famine has been commemorated with the dedication of two new statues in a downtown Boston park. The sculptures by Robert Shure depict a starving family on the Irish shore and a hopeful one landing in Boston.

--The National Park Service will add a sculpture of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a wheelchair at the entrance to the new memorial in Washington, D.C. The National Organization on Disability led the effort to demonstrate that disability is not a barrier to achievement.

--The African-American Civil War Memorial has been unveiled in downtown Washington. It features a bronze statue called "Spirit of Freedom" by Ed Hamilton in front of three semicircular granite walls covered with plaques listing over 200,000 names of all the black soldiers who served in the Civil War, plus the 7,000 white officers.

Election Year Turnabout for Arts Funding--Former opponents joined in a House endorsement of continued support for the National Endowment for the Arts. A vote of 253-173 provides $98 million for the NEA in 1999, the same amount funded in 1998.

Paintings Recovered--After a seven-week search, Italian police have recovered two Van Goghs and a Cezanne stolen from the National Gallery of Modern Art.

Artist's House Dedicated--King Juan Carlos of Spain recently dedicated the house in Malaga, Spain, where Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 as a museum. After renovation, it will include exhibitions of paintings, ceramics, and engravings.

Artists for Goodwill--The 1998 Goodwill Games, an international, multi-sport invitational, was held in the New York metropolitan area in July. Official artist for the games, Michel Delacroix, designed the official greeting card, which is expected to raise about half a million dollars for UNICEF. In addition, Leroy Neiman's painting of the New York skyline appeared on the souvenir program.

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 8 No. 10 -- August 1998