The art of mosaic dates back over 2000 years. Typically used as wall decorations, ancient mosaics depicted mythical creatures, religious scenes, scenes of everyday life, and geometric designs. Then, as now, creating a mosaic involved assembling small pieces of glass or stone (and later tile) to make decorative or religious works of art. Just a decade ago archeologists discovered colorful mosaics that date back to the 1st or 2nd century A.D. These five mosaic panels, which decorated the walls of an ancient plunge pool, are considered among the finest examples of mosaic art ever seen.
The mosaic tradition continues to this today as mosaics serve functional and decorative purposes. Popular materials for mosaics include glass, ceramic, porcelain, clay, and artificial stone. Mosaics have many uses in contemporary building and design, including in swimming pools, as floors, for kitchen backsplashes, in bathrooms, for paving, and as roof tiles.
Mosaic tiles come in a nearly endless assortment of colors and patterns. Small tiles typically come in sheets, which are organized in color systems. A color system may focus on variations of one color, mixed colors, mixed finishes, gradients of colors, or entirely one color. A color system may mix glass and marble or other combinations of materials. Read the rest of this entry »
