Pictured above: Funktional Vibrations at 34 St Hudson Yards Station. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Underground, overground and high in the sky, Angela Youngman takes a look at some more mosaic destinations to be found across three continents in a special website feature.
By Angela Youngman
New York
Travelling to New York? Head for the subterranean world of the New York Subway for a mosaic trail with a difference. You can truly spend all day underground, stopping off at every station to discover new, unexpected mosaic delights.
Hunt through Astor P1 for Milton Glaser’s porcelain panels, which take the appearance of a puzzle.
At 34th St Hudson Yards, Zenobia Bailey’s glass-tiled Funktional Vibrations were originally designed in crochet before being turned into mosaic murals by Miotto Mosaics.
Created by Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel, Oculus (Eye) consists of 300 different mosaic eyes, all based upon actual human eyes taken from photographs, installed all over the Chambers Street/World Trade Center station complex.
Nick Cave’s Every One is an expansive mosaic and 11-screen video installation that runs 360 linear feet and covers over 3,200 square feet at the Times Square 42nd Street Station.
Every station offers a different mosaic style. Some are linked to buildings immediately above ground such as Lexington Avenue where Elizabeth Murray used Bloomingdales to stimulate thoughts about passage with murals cascading down lines and round corners and 81st Street sited under the Museum of Natural History where fauna and flora past and present come alive in vast scenes using all kinds of materials including granite, glass, bronze and ceramic relief.
Looking for scenes of New York’s famous high-rise buildings? Take a look at 96th Street. Blueprint for a Landscape is an incredible design covering 14,000 sq ft using 4,300+ porcelain tiles showing the variety of city life including sheets of paper blowing in the wind. The reasons for so much artwork are simple – New York Subway authorities see it as a great way of quickly identifying each station, as well as giving travellers something interesting to see while waiting for trains.
Read more: nycsubway.org/perl/artwork
Rio de Janeiro
Famed for its carnival and great statue of Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro is also home to an incredible mosaic staircase Escadaria do Selarón, which is known locally as the Lapa Steps. Measuring 125 metres long, it contains 215 steps covering in over 2,000 tiles. A blaze of colour, with brilliant reds and yellows dominating risers and surrounding walls, the steps are located between the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighbourhoods.
These steps are the work of Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who lived in an adjacent house. Unhappy with the sight presented by dilapidated steps he saw each day, Selarón took action. In 1990, he began renovating the steps as a tribute to the Brazilian people. It became an obsession, and he funded his work by selling paintings. Initially, he recycled tiles from places around Rio, but as time went on and the staircase became famous, visitors started donating tiles resulting in the use of tiles from over 60 countries worldwide. Prepare to spend hours just exploring each tile during a visit; many were hand-painted by Selarón. There are amusing, eye-catching little tiles to discover, such as a cat playing with a ball, two penguins, scenes from the favelas of Rio as well as the great landmarks like the Sugar Loaf. At the very top of the steps is a message from Selarón himself: “Brasil eu te amo” (Brazil I love you). With plenty of bars and restaurants in the area, this is a very bohemian neighbourhood in which to relax and enjoy the artwork.
Read more: www.imaginariodejaneiro.com
Morocco
Heading across the Atlantic to the coast of Morocco, visitors can experience a very different mosaic style dating back to the twelfth century. Abstract mosaics in brilliant colours adorn almost every building and doorway within the Casbah (the Old City) of Fez. Stroll down alleyways within the Medina and check out the designs, or head for the Médersa Attarine near the Kairaouine Mosque and be blown away by the intricate mosaic designs and Arabic calligraphy covering floors, walls and courtyards.
Tiny pieces of brilliant blues, greens, reds and black form repeated patterns of stars and circles, diagonal chequer boards and complex circles all of which are traditional patterns dating back centuries. Tread carefully during your visit, as some of the floor patterns are regarded as too sacred to be stepped upon.
Explore further afield and head to Marrakech to explore The Secret Garden, a palace complex recently opened to the public containing stunning Islamic art, architecture and magnificent gardens complete with unexpected mosaics. The predominantly blue and white colour geometric schemes create a sense of coolness, welcome during the hot summer days. Climb the tower for incredible views across the Medina as well as out to the Atlas Mountains in the distance. Or visit the Musée de Marrakech in the city’s old centre. The central internal courtyard, with its stained-glass windows, cedar archways, intricately painted door panels and zellige (colourful geometric mosaic tilework), is the highlight.
Read more: visitmorocco.com/en
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan might not immediately jump to mind as an ideal location for a mosaic-based holiday – but take a look and be surprised. Historically, it’s a location that has always been at the crossroads of European, Arabic and Asiatic cultures. The result is remarkable. Samarkand is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with incredible mosaics adorning the exterior and interior of buildings like the Sherdor Madrash and the Iman al-Bukhari Mausoleum while the State Museum of Applied Arts is a positive delight; with so many mosaics it is hard to know where to start. Stroll around the city and discover domes ridged in ornate repeating mosaic designs, walls covered in pieces of marble, granite, onyx , green, blue, and white tiles. The sheer scale of the designs becomes a feast for the senses, complementing ornate carvings and creating an overall sense of serenity and peace.
For even more stunning works, the city of Bukhara should not be missed as it has been described as the capital of Islamic culture. Another UNESCO World Heritage site, this is a city dating back over 2,500 years. Everywhere are mosaic-covered minarets, mosques and madrassas, hidden courtyards and archways, each of which is a work of art in itself. Colourful and inspiring, the designs truly grab attention, creating a sense of awe when you look at places like the Poi-Kalyan architectural ensemble with its cathedral minaret and the entrance to the Miri Arab Madrasah.
The Silk Road Samarkland combines both ancient buildings and modern – all of which feature elements of traditional mosaics. Worth exploring is the ancient bazaar as well as the craft workshops where craftspeople can be seen at work.
Read more: www.uzbekistan.travel/en/bukhara
France
Forget any images of dramatic Gothic architecture and stained glass windows when visiting the Cathedral de Jean Linard at Les Poteries, near Sancerre, central France. This is mind-blowingly different. Inspired by the work of artists like Gaudi, Ferdinand Cheval and Picasso, Jean Linard turned his home into an artwork. Colourful, sculptural forms adorned with complex mosaics were installed around the garden, and attached to walls. The designs are completely varied, such as slanted diagonals incorporating road signs, the word Jesus, and small vertical trees in a line. Larger structures abound across the site including winding mosaic pathways and a mosaic-covered, semi-circular amphitheatre built into the side of a quarry.
This is a work of art spanning decades of artistic endeavour. Jean Linard moved to the old flint quarry located in the middle of a forest in 1983 and began building a home using recycled materials. As time went on, he created more and more artworks in a bid to creatively explore links between architecture, sculpture and the environment as well as a place of meeting between different spiritual traditions. Soon after his death in 2010, the site was listed as a historical monument and has been open to the public at weekends and on public holidays, with workshops and various exhibitions on site. Regular events and guided visits are held throughout the year, including improvised theatre, poetry readings and music. Not an easy place to reach being tucked away in the depths of the French countryside, but definitely worth a visit and it can be easily combined with trips to vineyards and historic towns like Bourges.