Artist's Statement
Although mosaic is one of the most ancient forms of art, my goal as a mosaic artist is to expand upon what the ancient and Byzantine mosaic artists gave us, and to reenergize the art form with a modern and personal twist.
My method is essentially the same as it was thousands of years ago: I cut every single piece by hand and adhere it to a hard surface. I depart from the ancients, however, with the help of modern technology and the existence of the brilliant and diverse materials that I use. The basic raw material I start with is stained glass, which comes in gorgeous colors, sparkling iridescents, and interesting textures. I also use colored and basic mirror glass, which, when it’s cut into small pieces, placed, and grouted around, creates not only a sparkle, but also an interesting depth into which you can gaze. Much of my work
has gold in it, which I create by adhering actual gold leaf to the back of transparent glass. When I do this with colored transparent glass, the result is jeweled toned glass with a luminous depth. In the past year, I have begun to experiment with dichroic glass, which is often used in fused glass jewelry. It has this wonderful quality of changing colors from every angle, and it comes in varying textures and colors. Often, I use it just as it is, and cut it precisely the
same way I cut regular glass. Otherwise, I cut and fuse it in a kiln with other glass to make pieces that look like little jewels, and then use them just as I would use any other cut piece of glass. I have been experimenting with cutting and fusing precise shapes, such as leaves, for example. The result is a rounded surface with a deep and luminous interior, whether it’s a leaf or flower petal or whatever. I often use all of these materials together, usually grouping them by color, in order to create different levels of depth and different types of luminosity. The finishing touch is the grout, which will either enhance and pull together an entire work, or completely ruin it if the color is wrong. I used to use only regular tile grout until I came upon a brand into which you can add fine gold or copper glitter. The end result adds yet another dimension of sparkle and makes every piece look like a gem.
I think it is clear in much of my work that I have been influenced by the ancient Greeks and Romans, particularly in terms of their naturalistic ways of shading the human form. I
also try to emulate the fine attention to detail and brilliant use of color of the Byzantine mosaic artists. In terms of the ways in which I structure and cut my glass, as well as my love for and use of gold, I have taken huge inspiration from Gustav Klimt. In terms of trying to create a painterly quality to the way that I cut my glass, place varying colors together, and often liberally choose my color palette, I have turned somewhat to Van Gogh. And when it comes to conveying a sense of the mystical and fantastical, I give some credit to Odillon Redon. I also have a particular love for the entire Japanese aesthetic. Oftentimes, however, it is the color and texture of the glass itself that guides me, especially when it comes to dichroic glass and the fused pieces that I make.
Since my livelihood depends so much on commissioned pieces, I do not always have the freedom to choose my subject matter or even basic image. With every piece, however, I strive to make it my own, even if that entails only adding a few bits of iridescence or gold, or sometimes actual stones. Although I have become adept at creating the illusion of depth and perspective, whenever I get an opportunity to play with a flatter rendering of an image, I am very happy because I like to experiment with surface depth and texture. In the near future, I plan to expand on this play of surface color and texture by creating abstract sculptures that are completely covered with all of the various materials that I use.
I am very excited about my work, and I not only love what I do, but I love the end results. It has been my intention to start doing public art projects in order to share what I do with the world. Luckily, the City of Ventura has recently commissioned me to create a mosaic in Ventura Harbor, which should be finished by the end of 2006. In the same way that we can still see and appreciate mosaics created 2000 years ago, I would like for my work to be seen and appreciated by people for 2000 years to come, both in public places like Ventura Harbor and wherever my pieces find a home.
