Comments on: Artaic Pieces Together a Robot Revolution in Mosaic-Making

By: Paul Hodge

Paul Hodge — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:01:55 +0000

Hello,
we have had high speed 3rd generation production automated mosaic robotic systems in operation for 5 years, we produce large scale architectural photo mosaics for public works projects, etc.. i.e. the ceiling for the national dday memorial in Bedford Virginia. We did this 100K project in 3 days using our robotics. My point, there is definitely a place for this technology, we are a very profitable business with 30 employees, our wholesale price is $25 per square foot, not $150, and produce a square foot every 65 seconds. I hope everyone has done their homework. http://www.3scoreinc.com

By: Wade Roush

Wade Roush — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:22:25 +0000

@Shug, @Laura, @Terry, @Gary:
I thought experienced mosaicists might react as you have to Artaic’s idea, which is why I asked Acworth that question at the end, about whether he was concerned that his technology might cheapen the form. His answer (that his technology just automates the non-creative, manual part of the process) did seem to me to miss the point a bit, since I’m sure—as Shug says—that there is quite a bit of art in the placement of tesserae. But personally, I don’t think Artaic’s system poses a direct challenge to traditional mosaic making, or that it should provoke the kind of angry dismissal that Terry and Gary’s answers contain. I see it as a new form of technology-mediated art, sort of like Jhane Barnes’ amazing computer-mediated designs for textiles and men’s clothing.

By: Gary Drostle

Gary Drostle — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:51:15 +0000

Perhaps we should get some cheap posters to paste over the Sisteen Chapel ceiling as well. Fortunately few who give mosaic art more than a cursory glance will be fooled by this ‘colouring-in graph paper’ approach. Mosaic Art is so much more than squares of colour tile, it’s about cutting, flow, texture, the expression of the human hand and that investment in time and thought.

By: Terry Nicholls

Terry Nicholls — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:42:10 +0000

Seraut spent two years on his masterpiece and we are thankful for that. Good art is worth the time and the money and the vision within the artists mind. Automated tripe is not. If we are going to judge art by how fast and cheap it can be done we have lost the point.
I enjoy laying tesserae and would not dream of farming it out.

By: Laura K. Aiken

Laura K. Aiken — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:53:48 +0000

I read this article earlier but didn’t get to finish. I now have read the article again in full. I too agree with Shug. We mosaic artists thrive on the placing, cutting, thinking, and andamento in a mosaic. It is an artform and we love to create —–mosaic!

By: Shug Jones

Shug Jones — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:27:20 +0000

On the contrary, I know MANY traditional mosaic artists and NONE of them would be interested in “farming out the manual-labor”. For us it is all about the actual cutting and placing of the tesserae. My business partner and I do large scale mosaics and at times we hire a few other trained mosaicists to help with production, but we are as involved in the creation of the mosaic as the helpers. What you have described here is not art, it is pixelated pictures using tiles.
Sure, some of the large tile companies that also produce grid type mosaics might be interested in a robot taking over the work for them, but I don’t consider their work art either.
Until a robot can think and consider each shape, color and nuance of andamento in a mosaic, it will never be as beautiful, creative, or satisfying as a “true” mosaic created by a thinking artist cutting, interpreting and placing each tessera.