Popdog by Mitch Levin and Susie Levin

If I was asked to describe the work environment of my dreams, I would immediately conjure up a light-filled space filled with vibrant people, stimulating art, and dogs. (Yes, dogs, as I have found that dog-friendly workplaces help to break the tension and keep people grounded.) Imagine my joy at walking into the reality of that workplace, the offices of the Level Playing Field Institute
in San Francisco.

LPFI is a non-profit organization dedicated to fairness: to removing barriers to fairness in higher education to the economically disadvantaged. They help talented students be better prepared for success in higher education and the workplace through scholarship, mentoring, internship and peer counseling programs. What they are doing is so encouraging and life affirming.

Knoop I by Josh Urso

Upon walking in to the offices, one is immediately greeted by one or more dogs, dogs who come to the office everyday and who clearly run the place. These rambunctious characters have many art dogs surrounding them, including “Pop Dog” by Mitch and Susie Levin, which graces the large conference room wall.

Wherever you turn within LPFI’s offices, there is art, all of it extremely tactile. At the entry gathering spot, rather than a traditional corporate coffee table, the founders have placed a Josh Urso “Knoop Table“, letting you know immediately that this is no cookie-cutter sterile office experience.

Autumn Rust Canopy by Tim Harding

Tim Harding’s voluptuous pieces silk pieces adorn one office wall, providing color, texture and the suggestion of the importance of creativity in the workplace.

With a name like Artful Home, we tend to talk a lot about art for the home for obvious reasons, but visiting the LPFI offices made me wonder why more companies don’t see the value of bringing original art into the workplace. Most of us spend more of our waking time in our offices than in our homes, and the benefits to the soul of being surrounded by art most certainly have productivity benefits to the workplace.

Encoded IV, 2008 by Rhonda Heisler

A Mosaics Q&A with Rhonda Heisler
We asked New Jersey mosaicist Rhonda Heisler, an officer in the Society of American Mosaic Artists, to comment on current trends in this compelling art form.

Why the fascination with mosaic art?
Mosaics are experiencing a renaissance in the U.S. and abroad. You see evidence in both the quantity and the quality of mosaic art being produced and the degree to which architects and designers are incorporating commercially designed mosaics into homes and public spaces as expressive focal points or sophisticated backgrounds texture. The growth of mosaic fine art is an important aspect of this trend, as contemporary artists are drawn to mosaics by way of its rich traditions, creative possibilities, and technical challenges.

What makes mosaic unique among the art media?
Few media provide such powerful and direct testimony to the process of artistic creation as mosaics. The finished piece is the product of literally thousands of interrelated decisions, the mosaicist selecting from a broad array of exquisitely tactile materials, then cutting, manipulating, or editing each piece (called a tessera, plural form tesserae) and positioning it just so, for maximum visual and expressive impact within the design. The process is very labor-intensive, to be sure. But as the artist will tell you, making a mosaic can be meditative, highly intuitive, and a labor of love.

It’s common for a viewer of mosaic to move in as close as possible to focus on a small area or to admire the intricate patterning and surface detail, then step back to take in the interplay of the various elements and the composition as a whole. It’s this duality of focus, this tension, that makes owning mosaic art an endlessly fascinating process of discovery. Not only that, mosaic art is eminently collectible and well-priced.

Tell us more about the materials and techniques being used in contemporary mosaics.
Today’s mosaicist can select from a variety of luscious materials that, until quite recently, simply were not widely available in this country. In addition to traditional materials like marble and stone, glass (stained, mirrored, and vitreous), and ceramic tile, artists are working in Italian and Mexican smalti (enameled glass with a unique depth of color and surface texture), tempered and fused glass, and found objects. Organic materials and fossils are finding their way into mosaics, along with beads, polymer clay and asphalt, metal, and handmade ceramics.

We see mosaicists mixing conventional and unconventional materials in surprising combinations and new formats. Others are using new industrial materials to depict traditional themes and narratives. Andamento, the placement of tesserae in a flowing pattern to suggest movement and rhythm, is a hallmark of the fine mosaics and can be a signature feature of an individual artist’s style. Mosaicists are working in both two- and three-dimensional formats, from small-scale work to large murals and public art projects. Some are experimenting with bas-relief and trompe l’oeil effects. It’s an exciting medium, ripe with creativity and innovation.

What do mosaics lend to their environment? Why are they a good solution for public art projects?

The work has a strong physicality and an often shimmering presence that simply does not transmit in a photograph but looks great on the wall, where the field of tesserae creates stunning color and textural effects that modulate with the changing light. Mosaic is well-suited to large-format work, durable, and colorful. This makes it a versatile selection for interior or exterior wall-oriented or sculptural work. The mosaicist working on a public art commission often can incorporate materials and themes that give the piece a strong geographic or historical identity. Sometimes such mosaics are community-built, promoting local pride and signaling an investment in the community where the piece is situated.

How do I commission a mosaic?

Most professional mosaicists welcome site-specific commissions, either for portable panels, installation pieces, or sculptures. Mosaics can be custom-designed, customer-colored, and custom-sized to fit client requirements. Many of the best mosaicists are trained in fine arts and welcome the opportunity for hands-on involvement in all phases of the project: design, production, and installation. This is preferable to picking a pattern from a book or asking a painter to provide a color rendering for mosaic fabrication, since only someone who speaks the special language of mosaic can take full advantage of the unique properties of the material.

Most mosaicists charge a design fee that can be applied to a project once a contract is signed. Keep in mind that mosaic production can be slow, so allow ample lead time. Note, however, that a mosaic artist often has a selection of ready-to-hang work that may suit your requirements.

Tell us about SAMA, the Society of American Mosaic Artists.

This non-profit organization, founded in 1999, is at the center of mosaic art activity in the United States. Its members are artists, instructors and scholars, mosaic enthusiasts, and industry partners, all dedicated to educating, inspiring, and promoting excellence in fine mosaic art. Major programs include a yearly conference with an impressive array of workshops and presentations, annual juried (Mosaic Arts International) and non-juried (Mosaic Art Salon) exhibition opportunities, a quarterly newsletter, and a scholarship fund. A visit to the SAMA website, www.americanmosaics.org, is the perfect place to start your exploration of contemporary mosaics. You’ll find a Members’ Gallery and links to member websites, as well as information about conferences, exhibitions, and classes. Catalogs of past exhibitions and other publications are available in the online SAMA store.

Beau Chene by Michele Hardy

Framing
There are many considerations in framing textiles as well. While glass protects against humidity, dust, insects, and touching, it is important to allow an air space around the work and to use conservation glass and acid-free mats and backings to avoid harming the fibers. Many fiber works – especially large pieces – are best displayed unframed.

Installation
Many of the works created by artists featured on Artful Home will come ready to hang, and any artist whose work you purchase should have suggestions for hanging his or her artwork safely. One good way to hand fiber involves handstitching a four-inch-wide twill tape (used in upholstering) onto the back of tapestries. A strip of Velcro is then attached to the tape and another adhered to a board (shellacked so no acids can leach out) that is covered in muslin. Screw eyes are used to secure the board to the wall, at the optimum height.

Cleaning
While fabric protectors such as Blue Magic Tectron may solve many of the problems associated with soiling, fading, and humidity, periodic cleaning will still be needed. Some pieces can be carefully vacuumed, with a mesh screening places of the work to minimize fibers being either disturbed of extricated from the piece. Dry cleaning, though, by anyone other than a well-versed conservator, can be danerous business; textile conservators around the country specialize in cleaning fragile artworks.

When appropriately cared for, contemporary fiber art will endre long after its creation. Good care from the beginning will guarantee that the best of our textile treasures will be passed on within the family for future generations to enjoy.

Shimmer 8 by Tim Harding

Handcrafted works in fiber have enriched the lives of both royalty and peasantry since the beginning of recorded history. Persian brocades, Indian chilkats, Indonesian ship cloths, Asian ikats, Turkish rugs—the artistry and craftsmanship of textiles from centuries past are kept alive in countless museums around the world. And it’s a marvel that they exist at all for us to enjoy today. Homage is paid first to the artists who toiled over these works and second to the conservators who have preserved them for safe passage into this century.

Likewise, today’s fiber art deserves our thoughtful attention to care and maintenance. Regarding contemporary textiles as the heirlooms of tomorrow is the best way to ensure their preservation for future generations to enjoy.

You don’t have to be a museum curator to purchase and display contemporary textiles, but you should remember that they are perishable works of art. Because fiber is somewhat fragile, questions of endurance and care are important. Fiber art that has become shabby or soiled, with its color faded, is an all-too-familiar and disheartening sight.

Kittery Point Marsh by Wen Redmond

Successful presentation begins with selecting the right environment—a space, position, and illumination that shows off the ultimate quality of the piece. On an artistic level, attention must be given to spatial considerations, proportions, focal points. On a practical level, solutions must be found for showcasing fiber art without risk of damage.

Fiber art has long been recognized as a springboard for exploration in a variety of media; this is a field that continues to evolve through the use of new materials. Peruses the works presented by Artful Home and you’ll find works in metallic yarns, new lustrous cottons, silks, wools, handmade papers, synthetics, bamboo, and wire. Often you’ll read in the artists’ descriptions assurances that their works are custom-dyed, lightfast, mothproofed, treated with fabric protectant or fireproof. Our contemporary fiber artists have become knowledgeable in areas of durability and maintenance. Conservation gets a good start with their expertise, but there are several things you can do to ensure your fiber artwork will be enjoyed for years to come.