I am presently attempting to archive over 30 years of paintings, sculpture and mosaics to put on this website; a daunting task. I have my digital photos scattered about and a ton of slides that need to be scanned.
It will take a while to get a better sampling of my work on here, but it will get done, so stay tuned:)
Check out the Mosaic Artists of Australia and New Zealand’s website at www.maanz.org for information about their annual mosaic arts conference “Groundswell”. It happens in Brisbane, October 9-12, 2009.
I will be the Keynote speaker at the conference and I will also be teaching a workshop to be named soon.There will be speakers from around the world, from MAANZ, and there will be the annual MAANZ exhibition as well.
I am looking forward to reaching out to my new friends in Australia and exchanging ideas. This is a great opportunity for SAMA Members to get a new perspective on mosaic art, so I encourage you to attend.
Finally, the rains have stopped. I could smell the blossoms and feel the sun on my skin today. I have been looking at some public art mosaics here in Chicago (not the one in the picture) , and several are deteriorating. I am passionate about this subject as I see that few cities or public art programs have criteria for artists accountability, or even question an artists experience, especially in mosaic. If a proposal looks good and professional, it may not matter that the artists has never worked in mosaic or installed a mosaic- they’ll figure it out.
Such is the case with a specific piece in a park here on the city’s Northside. The artist was commissioned to do a 325 ft long wall in mosaic (she is a painter). I am sure the drawings and proposal for the project were lovely. But she had little or no experience doing a tile or mosaic mural.
She made the tiles out of earthenware clay, using lowfire glazes. Even my Japanese friends know that Chicago winters can be fierce and we have temperature extremes-not an appropriate fit for the materials this artist used. The tiles were half installed- cemented to the wall and left ungrouted, now, for over 2 years.
The glaze is popping of the tiles. The tile are cracking and decaying. All in all it is a big public art mess. Good intentions, yes- but it is irresponsible of those that hired the artist and truly, the artist herself, for NOT ASKING QUESTIONS and doing some research.
I am displeased. This is a bad example of an exterior mosaic, yet the public will see its demise and think-”we don’t want a mosaic in our ____, they don’t last- they fall apart.
This is NOT the case, as any professionally responsible mosaic artist or tile installer will tell you. Know your materials. Ask questions! Find answers- it is worth doing your homework on the front end.
We (at The Chicago Mosaic School) were asked to give an estimate in its restoration (yes, after 2 years!). We assessed that the entire work would have to be removed and rebuilt using a different clay body, glazes, and installed and grouted correctly. Can they afford to do that? No. And we don’t want to do it, shouldn’t do it. They should go back to the artist and ask her to rebuild it, but this time with assurances she will consult with people who have created exterior glazed tiles and installed exterior mosaics.
I hope that in the future there will be standards for public artists, the art councils just don’t know what questions to ask yet. Perhaps professional artists can help assist in developing criteria when a community wants a piece of public art, be it mosaic, welded sculpture or some other material that should withstand the elements and the test of time.
As it is said, “When you earnestly believe you can compensate for a lack of skill by doubling your efforts, there’s no end to what you can’t do.”
After a web-hiatus, I am back on the web with a new and wanky website. Formerly Mudhouse Studio, I am reborn as Amiba Studio (Ami-ba, amoeba aka Karen Ami). Same studio only better, cleaner, and wiser.
I will be growing and adding to this website now, so stay tuned for exciting news and scintillating images:)
