Piecing together parts of a large-scale glass mosaic mural in preparation for the future Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill Station. Created by Pearl C. Hsiung, “High Prismatic” will tower 61 feet high over the station’s prominent concourse elevator lobby.
Translated into glass from an original painting that explodes with clouds of Sumi ink, an eruption of squeegeed enamel paint, rich washes of watercolor and a spray paint speckled sky, the artwork references the constant geological, social and urban change that Bunker Hill has undergone.
Regional Connector is a 1.9-mile light rail project connecting the Metro L Line (Gold) to 7th Street/Metro Center Station in downtown Los Angeles. The project will feature artwork integrated into three new stations: Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, Historic Broadway Station, and Grand Ave Arts/Bunker Hill Station.
Video originally posted on Metro Art
Over the last year, the painting’s glistening colors and textures have been carefully translated into glass mosaic by skilled artisans at Mosaicos Venecianos de Mexico in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The studio works with professional artists to create artworks for public environments.
The artwork references the constant geological, social and urban change that Bunker Hill has undergone, as well as the artist’s Taiwanese-American identity and “polychromatic” experience of growing up in L.A.
“I wanted to celebrate the disparate yet harmonious cosmos of images, languages, cultures and relationships that make up the history of this region, its ever churning present and endlessly shifting future,” states Hsiung.
Mosaic as an art form has been traced back as far as the fourth millennium B.C. to the Temple of Urukin Mesopotamia and the ancient Greek city of Pella. Mosaics were also found in Pre-Columbian cultures, which decorated objects using shells, mother-of-pearl and semi-precious stones. Because glass mosaic is highly durable, materials are often used in artworks in transit systems.
Over 1 million hand-made and cut-glass pieces of various sizes create the final artwork seen here at Mosaicos Venecianos de Mexico during fabrication.
A key step in advance of final assembly and installation is the dry-fit process. Staff from Metro Art & Design recently laid out the fabricated glass mosaic for review with the artist. The goal of the processes is to confirm the artwork fulfills the original artwork design and that all pieces are present before final installation in the station.
Here’s a quick glimpse into the dry-fit – and more to come!
Originally posted on Metro Art