Grammar of Ornament Mosaic

Van Gogh glass | 34" x 51"

Grammar of Ornament Mosaic

This mosaic was a departure from most of my organic, flowing art. It is the cover of the 1856 book Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones which was gold leaf embossed leather. This book was so revolutionary in the design field that it is still currently in publication and found on designers’ coffee tables today. This mosaic reproduction was created out of Van Gogh glass and the background is black grout.

Creation of the Grammar of Ornament Mosaic

This mosaic took a mind-numbing amount of precision in planning, glass cutting, and placement. I love that the Van Gogh glass came out looking exactly as I hoped in my head when planning this piece. Since the original is an old, gold leaf leather book, I wanted the gold to be more subtle than gold smalti or mirror would have appeared. I tried to stay as close to the gorgeous original design as possible, but making adjustments necessary to convert the design from gold leaf to mosaic.

I decide to make this mosaic not just because the design is beautiful and the book so influential, but because I have an idea for a mosaic book I’d like to make. This mosaic is the first step to making it happen. The general idea of the book is to translate various art forms into mosaic, incorporating art, design, and crafts from around the world.