A few weeks ago we traveled to Spain with the specific goal of visiting many of Antoni Gaudi's works. Along the way we stumbled upon the works of another great name from the Modernisme period, Montaner. We share parts of our story here. One of the more remarkable aspects of the work of these two geniuses is their use of mosaic tile. But not just any mosaic tile...in lieu of the more expected symmetrically cut glass, they both incorporate broken tile pieces into their designs. These irregular pieces of tile and glass give their work an organic edge that we find so interesting and appealing, especially when juxtaposed with the exposed brick and ironwork of the buildings they design.
In this photo you can clearly see the mosaic pattern in the red background.
And, while this photo does not do justice to this remarkable domed ceiling, it does give you an idea of what to expect from Montaner i.e. exposed iron supports and curvilinear shapes as seen in the various patterns.
As we have shared, Martin Pierce continues to be inspired by the work of these two gentlemen as well as the Art Nouveau and other early 20th century art and architecture movements. Following this very inspirational vacation I am looking forward to what the future holds for our custom hardware designs and sculpture.
For some inspiration of your own, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com to view our entire collection of architectural hardware.