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Throughout
time, STONE MOSAIC MURALS have illustrated the
history of many "fallen empires".….We've
been thinking it might be time for another.
The
Biodiversity Crossroads Mosaic Mural Project
Our project mission: To create a unique, lasting, monumental,
and nationally collaborative public work documenting
the desires of young people for a sustainable future
while illustrating the history which has led us to
the grave circumstances of the present worldwide crisis
in agriculture and biodiversity.
For the past three years
we have been in the beginning stages of our collaboration
with MOFGA, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners
Association for our major, all-volunteer, public-art
project. This collaborative mosaic mural and graphics
campaign, which we anticipate taking up to 10 years
to complete, hopes to be permanently installed throughout
the floor of MOFGA’s exhibition hall at the “Common
Ground Fairgrounds.” At this year’s stage
we are collectively discussing, planning, and creating
individual insect “panels”
to exhibit as examples of the larger work, as well
as kicking off the research stage through work on our
Mapping the Food System graphics campaign. Recruiting
participants and co-ordinators for this ongoing, long-term
project is the major purpose of the Beehive’s
apprenticeship program. Read more about MOFGA at www.mofga.org.
What's
unique about our mosaics...
Traditional hand-cut stone mosaics
are some of the oldest documentary art still intact.
Due to its labor intensive qualities, the craft has
become extremely rare, even amongst the field of mosaic
itself, where most mosaics are simple, two-dimensional
designs, constructed from broken ceramic or glass fragments.
Our works are highly detailed, figurative murals, that
use individually cut shapes to describe form through
contour and grout lines... conveying even the fur,
feathers and skin on our creatures! We prioritize the
use of recycled materials, excavating much of our scrap
and odd lots from the small mountains of stone waste
found behind countertop fabricators.
El
Trabajo de Hormigas
We collectively
design and knit our murals, like a team of ants, cutting
and carrying all the little bits that help to make up
the larger picture. Wanna see what we mean? Here's one
of our sketch pads, as we warm up for the MOFGA mural,
it's a spiral anthill…
How
the public interacts with our work
Mosaic has the fascinating
ability to communicate the vast orchestra of detail between
the microcosm and the macrocosm. The startling intricacy
and richness of color in natural stone demands awe of
nature from the viewer. It's the same humbling experience
as discovering an iridescent bug... a little, but overwhelming
reminder that nature is irreplaceable and pales human
attempts to replicate its intensity. Adding theme to
this, mosaic allows us to begin to convey the complexity
of biodiversity, in an engaging, memorable way.
Mosaics inspire a sense
of permanence, outlasting lost civilizations and
fallen empires... things we think more of us should
be contemplatin' hard the way the world's going...
When we depict endangered species in our mosaics
we're asking the viewer to reflect on extinction...and
sustainability... We're asking the viewer to imagine
10, 200, 3000 years from now. It's a opportunity
to exercise foresight, to imagine the future that
is rarely tended to in our society. Mosaic also gives
it's audience, and creator, the opportunity to experience
the nourishment of a hand craft which defies mass-production.
In a culture that surrounds us with machines and
manufactured objects, these opportunities are rare.
We cut our own squares
of marble and granite from recycled slab and odd
lots of tiles, using tools that run their diamond
tipped blades through tubs of water, before being
hand nipped to shape. This handcrafting process takes
approximately 20 to 30 hours per square foot, and
is a wicked healthy and addictive puzzlebrain exercise
for us youngins that grew up on television and video
games, and have the attention span of a flea as a
result…. We LOVE it, it's our therapy!
The Beehive solicits
commissions of custom mosaic to help fund it's apprenticeship
and mosaic activities.
We design, fabricate,
and install custom woodstove mats, wood floor inlays,
tables, countertops, and other freestanding pieces.
We have an extensive portfolio, and seven years of
experience behind our work. We hope you will take
a moment to view our mosaics, and pass the word along
to someone you think might be interested in what
we do…. Thanks! |
