Mosaic Art vs. Tile Art: Everything You Need to Know
Mosaic Art vs. Tile Art: Everything You Need to Know
Mosaics are a popular type of modern art piece, created by carefully arranging small bits of hard material in order to piece together a larger picture. Mosaics can be vast and sprawling, spanning the side of an entire building, or small enough to fit inside a home, no larger than a picture you might hang on the wall. When a mosaic is composed of tile, the piece as a whole is sometimes referred to as &#;tile art.&#;
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This convention, however, creates ambiguity, as mosaics are not the only type of work that fall under the umbrella of &#;tile art.&#; Individual decorated tiles are also a common art form; so are small arrangements of tile with a painted pattern or image on top.
Though any arrangement of more than one piece of tile technically could be considered a mosaic art, generally it makes sense to refer only to works of art composed of many small pieces as mosaics; their many smaller pieces, arranged into an image, are what set mosaics apart. This leaves other art forms consisting of fewer or single painted tiles with the name &#;tile art.&#;
Both art forms can be detailed, beautiful and intriguing; many pieces today are of great emotional, spiritual, or historic significance.
This article is an exploration of the origins of two time-honored art forms and an attempt to understand the difference between mosaic and tiles, and thus how Mosaic Art and Tile Art had documented and shaped history!
Brief History of Mosaic Art
For thousands of years, people have been ornamenting different surfaces with a complex blend of small pieces, creating structure from the arrangement of individual, often tiny pieces.
The term &#;mosaic&#; has its origins in the Latin term &#;musaicum,&#; which means &#;work of the Muses.&#; The pieces that composed a mosaic were traditionally small tiles known as &#;tesserae,&#; but today mosaics are made of small pieces of a variety of materials.
The first recorded accounts of this art form are the mosaics of ancient Mesopotamia. These were made from sandstone, shell, and ivory, and first appeared years ago.
Brief History of Tile Art
Stone, glass, and ceramic tiles were frequently used to adorn Islamic mosques and palaces. The rise of the Muslim Empire led to the spread of this art form from North Africa and the Middle Eastthrough Europe. This tile art often depicted nothing more than geometric figures, and took advantage of differently shaped tiles to produce different patterns and motifs.
The use of tile in general goesback a very long time. Ceramic tile has existed for over12 thousand years, though it was not developed into an art form until much more recently.
Some of the most famous examples of Islamic tile art are at the Alhambra, a historic palace in Spain, at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and at the Jameh Masjid in Iran.
The word &#;tile&#; is derived from the French word &#;tuile,&#; which isin turn derived from the Latin word &#;tegula,&#;meaning a roof tile composed of fired clay. This reflects the idea that tile art is generallya decorative art form that is combined with other architectural elements.
Today, tile art is used to cover roofs, floors, walls, ceilings,and other surfaces such as the top of a table. Tiles are appropriate for applications where solidity is necessary, such as floor inserts. They are resistant to moisture and discoloration, preventing damage which may become hard or impossible to remove. Most of all, tile art helps add character to the interior of a space.
Variety Of Tiles
There is a number of different types of tile available today, which vary in characteristics and cost. İznik tile is the best known type of modern tile.
&#; The Revival of Iznik
400 years after they originated,Turkey has successfully restored the production of İznik tiles ata level of quality that matches the originals. Modern production incorporates some of the ancient traditional methods of the 16th and 17th century.
For more Mosaic Tile Assortmentsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
What is the key difference between Mosaic Art and Tile Art ?
Although it is not entirely incorrect to use the terms &#;tile art&#; and &#;mosaic&#; interchangeably, tile art is a more general art form that revolves around the incorporation of tile into an existing architectural work. This could be the side of a building, a wall, a floor, a ceiling, or even a pattern painted on a single tile in a tiled floor.
The term &#;mosaic&#; is much more specific; a mosaic is a type of dedicated art piece that is created by combining many small, hard pieces into a larger whole. Although mosaics may also found in walls, floors and ceilings, they are meant to stand on their own instead of complimenting the architecture of a room or building. It would be accurate to consider mosaics a specific type tile art with a concentrated focus.
On the contrary, &#;Tile Art&#; is characteristically known as a decorative art form&#;or&#;architectural antique. The dictionary definition of Tiles is: a thin slab or bent piece of baked clay, sometimes painted or glazed, used for various purposes, to create one of the units of a roof covering, floor, or revetment.
&#; Comparison
Tile Art and Mosaic Art are both a great option. Tile art is widely used for creating stylish patterns on floors while Mosaic Art is a perfect option for figurative art pieces and applications on walls and floors.
Which tile is better to purchase often depends on your needs and personal preferences.
Mosaics and Tile Art Today
Today, the abstract and geometric designs of tile art are more common than representational designs and portraits found in mosaics. The tile art form has evolved from a dedicated artistic craft to a more complimentaryone. Even true mosaics in the present have a greater focus on new ways of incorporating the medium into modern society, and today casual architectural tile art pieces far outnumber modern mosaics. But both are distinct and meaningful art forms, treasured in the past and present.
Got inspired by reading this article ?
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Istanbul: The Tile Art Story
CLOSER LOOK AT MOSAIC PIETRA DURA
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Tile Estimator
Mosaic Tile Calculator
How much tile do you need? You&#;ll know in just 4 quick steps . . .
1. Measure Your Surface
Measure the dimensions of the surface you would like to mosaic and calculate the area using the formulas from elementary school:
- RECTANGLE AREA = length x width
- TRIANGLE AREA = 1/2 x width x height
- CIRCLE AREA = 0.785 x diameter x diameter
Keep in mind that 1 ft2 is 144 in2.
If you get your answer in square inches, just divide by 144 to get the answer in square feet.
We have help with the formulas at the bottom of the page if you need it.
2. Look Up An Estimate
Now look up an estimate of the number of mosaic tiles you need based on square footage. Except for 8mm and 3/8 inch tile, these estimates assume a grout spacing of 1/16 inch between the tiles. The 8mm and 3/8 inch numbers are based on a smaller grout gap of 1/32 inch. The first three columns refer to mosaic marble stone of different types. The fourth column refers to 3/4-inch glass mosaic tile. Remember that 1 ft2 is 144 in2.
Mosaic Area 8mm (5/16&#;) 10mm (3/8&#;) 12mm (1/2&#;) 15mm (9/16&#;) 20mm (3/4&#;) 1 ft² 872 508 369 218 2 ft² 737 436 3 ft² 654 4 ft² 873 5 ft² 6 ft² 7 ft² 8 ft² 9 ft² 10 ft²3. Are you cutting the tiles?
Cutting a mosaic tile in pieces theoretically decreases the amount of tile you need. How is this so? You will have more pieces, so there will be more grout lines in the mosaic. More grout lines means more grout and less mosaic tile. The effect can be significant. For example, it requires 218 of the 3/4&#; glass mosaic tiles to cover 1 square foot with a grout spacing of about 1/16 inch, but if you cut the tiles into pieces, you might only need 200 tiles. On the other hand, people who cut tile probably should budget a little extra as waste. That&#;s why we use 218 per square foot as a rule of thumb for 3/4&#; mosaic tile.
4. Consider the Spacing Between Tiles
Tile coverage is determined as much by the grout spacing between the tiles as it is by the area you are covering. All of the calculations in our tables assume a standard grout spacing for that particular size. Grout gaps of standard size ensure that grout penetrates between the tiles and covers the adhesive underneath, while the hairline crack between &#;touching&#; tiles can never be grouted reliably. Standard size grout gaps are also optimal for aesthetic reasons, while using no grout gap between tiles of similar color does not look like distinct pieces at a distance. For advice about choosing a grout color, see our page of Mosaic Instructions.
Note that 3/4&#; glass mosaic tile sometimes comes face-mounted on paper so that the installer can glue the whole sheet to a wall and then peel the paper off the face of the tile and then grout. These sheets are made according to metric standards, so that the grout spacing is slightly larger than 1/16&#;. Typically there are 225 tiles mounted on a sheet that is 1.15 square feet. Our metallic glass mosaic tiles and swirled glass mosaic tiles are cut from such sheets. Most artists remove the tiles from the sheets before using, so this doesn&#;t matter.
Are you interested in learning more about Loose Mosaic Tiles? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
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