Meltdown

 

Meltdown mosaic by Sonia King Mosaic Artist

Meltdown (detail) mosaic by Sonia King Mosaic Artist

Meltdown

glass, ceramic, slate, chalcedony, pearls, shell, copper, bone, gold, smalti
25.5″ h x 19.25″w, 2006

The pressure created by the proximity of the tesserae in Meltdown and the endless interaction of pieces varying in reflectivity, surface, scale, shape, texture etc. forges a sense of molten liquid, tension and movement, igniting an internal heat. The choice of materials that have been stressed by fire (broken pieces of raku pottery and annealed copper) plus natural minerals formed by the earth’s pressure (slate and collapsed chalcedony geodes) reinforces the concept. Precious metals and pearls heighten the visual richness.