Sneak Peeks: Custom Mosaics

By Jared Ainscough

Tile mosaics have been around for a long time–thousands of years B.C., in fact. It’s hard to believe that a fresh and modern perspective can still be taken on a medium that has been around for so long, but Artaic tile in Boston has done just that. Artaic tile has a cutting-edge process that places small tiles with a robotic arm, creating incredibly intricate and complex mosaics from computer files.

Photos courtesy of Artaic

The resulting mosaics look like nothing you’ve ever seen. Some of them replicate photo-realistic images and the square tiles take on the look of computer pixels, come to life. Some of them mimic fabric patterns and delicate plaids. These patterns bring out an interesting contrast between the hard tiles and the soft, plush textures they emulate.

But what Artaic does best isn’t using their technique to replicate existing images or textures, but using it to create something entirely new. Artaic installed a mosaic entitled “fish in turmoil”–an enormous swirling pattern of blues, blacks and whites. Inhabiting some space between image and pattern, the mosaic is a churning and pulsing piece of art. It has the beauty of boiling water, with highlights on the surface and a depth of dark shapes and shadows. As a floor to ceiling mosaic, it defines the space, and is a sight to be seen.

See more of their work in our September/October issue when we feature them in our “Made Here” department.

To see more beautiful things made by New England companies, check out these other “Made Here” stories:

In Full Bloom

Blanket Statement

The Merida Mystique