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Mosaic art, which involves crafting designs and images using tiny pieces of materials like colored glass or stone, has a rich history that dates back to ancient Mesopotamia. As technology advanced, this traditional form of art began to take on more eccentric and unusual forms. Below are 10 truly captivating mosaic artworks made from materials that defy expectations.
10. Post-It-Note Creations
The students at Eisenhower Junior High School in Taylorsville, Utah, must have been quite proud of their school’s accomplishments, as it boasts of holding more world records than any other school. With nine world records to its name, the school’s record-breaking feats have been featured in the Guinness World Records and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! One notable achievement is the creation of the world’s largest Post-It note mosaic. On November 6, 2009, 151 students joined forces to create a 60-feet by 40-feet mosaic using 38,400 brightly colored Post-It notes. The final design carried the theme ‘Go Green.’ The Post-Its were later recycled.
9. Playing Cards
David Alvarez, a 20-year-old art student from Leavenworth, Washington, demonstrated that artistic talent doesn’t always require drawing skills. He unveiled a 25-foot-high portrait of Jimi Hendrix, constructed from over 8,500 Bicycle playing cards (equivalent to 168 decks). Using Photoshop, Alvarez divided an image of Hendrix into sections and mapped out where the colored playing cards should be placed. On a single day, he spent 21 hours meticulously arranging each card on a Styrofoam board with double-sided tape, taking only a 90-minute break before continuing. A video documenting the project, created by Eric Splittgerber, can be viewed here.
8. Junk Mail
Each year, Americans are inundated with millions of tons of junk mail. Sandy Schimmel, an artist from Arizona, decided to make use of this by creating vibrant and stunning mosaic artwork out of discarded mail in a process called ‘upcycling.’ Inspired by a mosaic she encountered in Venice, Schimmel’s art primarily features portraits, including one of Madonna titled All American Blonde, as well as a reimagining of the famous painting The Birth of Venus. To explore more of her art, visit here.
7. Gumballs
Franz Spohn, an illustrator, sculptor, and professor of art at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, is known for creating large-scale mosaic murals of famous figures such as Barack Obama, Rosa Parks, and Robert Ripley using hundreds of gumballs. Spohn arranges the gumballs into plastic tubes by color, stacking them accordingly, and then lines the tubes up to form his detailed masterpieces.
6. Postage Stamps
Pete Mason, an artist from Staffordshire, England, has earned the title of 'Post Pop Art' man. By merging Pop Art with graphic design, he crafts portraits of well-known figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Princess Diana using recycled postage stamps. His larger pieces can involve up to 20,000 stamps. To create a portrait, Mason first sketches the image on a canvas, then divides it into stamp-sized squares. He sorts the stamps by color, design, and postmark patterns before applying them to the canvas.
5. Computer Parts
During an art exhibition in Beijing, China, in 2006, a team of computer engineers presented a recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa made entirely from computer components. The work, titled Technology Smiling, was constructed using various circuits and chip sockets, capturing the interest of visitors with its technological reinterpretation of a timeless masterpiece.
4. Apples
Since 1988, Emma Karp and her father Helge Lundstrom have been creating massive apple mosaics for the annual Kivik Apple Festival. The Swedish town has been a key fruit producer for the country, and the festival marks the end of Sweden’s apple harvest season, typically in late September. The festival’s highlight is the apple mosaic, which can feature up to 75,000 apples in various varieties, weighing a total of 8,820 pounds.
3. Burnt Toast
Maurice Bennett from New Zealand is renowned for creating mosaic portraits of famous figures using thousands of slices of toasted bread, each burnt to varying degrees to produce different shades. His works have featured icons like Jonah Lomu, John Key (New Zealand's Prime Minister), and Peter Jackson. These artworks are often displayed on billboards, where they can be best appreciated. To learn more about Bennett, visit here.
2. Bar Codes
Scott Blake is known for crafting portraits of famous personalities using bar codes. His interest in bar code art began with the Y2K computer bug, which inspired him to create his first bar code mosaic of Jesus Christ with Photoshop. Since then, Blake has created approximately thirty portraits of icons such as Andy Warhol and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Additionally, he has designed interactive works where scanning the bar codes reveals images of the person depicted in the mosaic on a screen. This feature was incorporated into his portraits of Bruce Lee and Elvis Presley. For more information, visit here.
1. Fruit and Veggie Sticker Labels
Barry Snyder from Erie, Colorado, creates stunning mosaic artwork from the pesky stickers often found on store-bought fruits and vegetables. His creations, typically measuring 4 square feet, are made from around 4,000 stickers and can take him up to six months to complete. Many of the stickers used are sent to him by people from across the globe. These unique pieces are in such demand that they can sell for up to $10,000. To donate stickers or view Snyder’s artwork, visit here.
3. Children’s Hands
Marcus Harvey’s controversial piece, best known for its provocative depiction of Moors murderer Myra Hindley, was created using the handprints of children. Measuring 9 by 11 feet (2.7 by 3.4 meters), the artwork was displayed in the 1997 Sensation exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art. The piece had to be temporarily removed for repairs after two separate incidents of attack on its opening day, where ink and eggs were thrown at it. One critic described the work: '[f]ar from cynically exploiting her notoriety, Harvey’s grave and monumental canvas succeeds in conveying the enormity of the crime she committed. Seen from afar, through several doorways, Hindley’s face looms at us like an apparition. By the time we get close enough to realize that it is spattered with children’s handprints, the sense of menace becomes overwhelming.'
