Throughout
time, STONE MOSAIC MURALS have illustrated the history
of many “fallen
empires”...We’ve been thinking
it might be time for another.
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 few years we have been in the very 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 expect to take 10 years to
complete, will be permanently installed throughout the
floor of MOFGA’s exhibition hall at the “Common
Ground Fairgrounds.” At this stage we
are collectively discussing, planning, and creating individual
insect “panels” to exhibit as examples of the
larger work. Read more about MOFGA at www.mofga.org .
Recruiting participants and co-ordinators for this ongoing,
long-term project is the major purpose of the Beehive’s
mosaic apprenticeships. The hive offers this opportunity
to learn the rare craft of handcut stone murals with the
hope (and a little expectation…) that apprentices
won’t just leave after a few months with a new hobby,
but rather are coming to learn as a means to get involved
in this larger effort. Ideally, folks that come to learn
mosaics will either stay involved in the collective after
their training, or will make plans to come back to teach
or participate in the future.
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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. We
cut our own squares of marble and granite from slab and
tiles, using tools that run their diamond tipped blades
through tubs of water. Over the years of teaching ourselves
this craft we have aquired a variety of saws that perform
different cutting tasks, allowing us to create unique shapes
that break out of the traditional repeating squares pattern.
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 an 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.
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Apprentices will take part in all aspects of preparing
work for, and exhibiting mosaics at the different craft
and agricultural fairs in Maine. This involves planning
for booth layout, hauling to/from the event, and long hours
interacting with the public, gently and subversively luring
them in with beautiful stone mosaics, while never watering
down our dose of political perspective. At these events,
the hive solicits private commissions of stone mosaic to
fund it’s apprenticeship and mosaic activities. We
design, fabricate, and install custom woodstove mats, wood
floor inlays, table and countertops, and other freestanding
pieces.
Mosaic apprentices have the opportunity to design and
fabricate both individual and group projects. The Grange
does not have individual studio spaces, rather one large
open room where many tables and desks offer space for both
individual and collective projects. The layout of our studio spaces is one of the major differences of
our collective, in that thusfar our priorities have encouraged
giving space for collaborative projects, rather than to
individual artist-closets. As we further develop more studio space in the Clark Perry House, both Bees and apprentices will
have access to both private and public space in which to
do their creative work. |
