Monday, 15 April 2013

Of Trees and Tesserae - Beautifying Bodrum.



Bodrum is no stranger to mosaics; the two above were excavated by Sir Charles Thomas Newton in the 1850s and mosaic floors are still regularly uncovered as gardens are dug up for new construction. But the ancients don't have a monopoly on the art of tessera arrangement.  We have some beautiful modern examples appearing on Bodrum's thoroughfares .

 


When Bodrum's marble pavements were laid, the trees were incased in rather incongruous concrete tubs which caused quite a few raised eyebrows and had many of us questioning why the trunks needed such robust protection.


Rather than just raising an eyebrow, local artist, Neslihan Zabcı Erdal, is using the concrete pots as a canvas for her ceramic pictures and brightening up the Bodrum streets.  As a piscean living in Turkey, I can relate to the subject matter of Neslihan's recent marine inspired work and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it in the town centre.




If you would like to be part of this project, you can sponsor a mosaic and have your name or your company immortalised on the streets of modern Halicarnassus.
For further details, contact Neslihan at neslihan@bukalemunart.com or click on her name to link to her website.

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36 comments:

  1. Helen Devries15 April 2013 at 23:45

    Was this the plan all along...or was it an initiative on the part of the artist?

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    1. BacktoBodrum15 April 2013 at 23:51

      I believe it is the artist's idea. I have sent her the link so hopefully she will answer.

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    2. Neslihan Zabci Erdal16 April 2013 at 22:50

      When I first saw these concrete pots, I thought they looked terrible, and they needed to be covered with mosaics! :) So I presented my project to our mayor, who was excited by the idea, and asked us to start immediately. Finished 3 already, 5 more are on their way - we are working on the detailed parts in the studio, then mount them on the concrete structures.

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    3. Unknown16 April 2013 at 23:27

      Dear Neslihan I m proud of you.. You really gave life and beauty to those trees.. How many concrete pots there are in total ?

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  2. Anonymous15 April 2013 at 23:45

    I don't think we saw those. Clearly we need to come back...

    I love the fishes on the bronze colour - are they in relief?

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    1. BacktoBodrum15 April 2013 at 23:52

      Always good to have a reason to return. The fishes are in relief.

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    2. Neslihan Zabci Erdal16 April 2013 at 22:54

      Thanks a lot. The fishes are made of hand-sculpted ceramic and glazed. I use all sorts of different materials in my mosaics, and this is one of my favorite methods - adding hand-made ceramic details.

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  3. ArtyZen15 April 2013 at 23:55

    Love them! I'm becoming so very fond of Bodrum, Annie. I definitely have it on my list of places to visit one day. You're doing an excellent job in promoting the good things happening there. Axxx

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  4. Jack Scott16 April 2013 at 00:06

    Ah, now all is clear. We all wondered what the ugly tubs were all about.

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    1. BacktoBodrum16 April 2013 at 00:37

      Ugly and pointless - Were tanks expected on the streets?

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  5. Carolyn Abiad16 April 2013 at 00:34

    I'll look for these when I visit. Thanks!

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  6. Carolyn Abiad16 April 2013 at 00:34

    Very nice. I'll look for these when I visit. Thanks!

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  7. Anonymous16 April 2013 at 01:23

    the old and the new mosaics...all beautiful! one of my favorite art forms.

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  8. Senior Dogs Abroad16 April 2013 at 05:05

    B to B, Quite lovely! What a great, civic-minded project. You know, we're just going to have to get down to visit some day.

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  9. Ayak16 April 2013 at 08:44

    What a brilliant idea. Those mosaics are beautiful.

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    1. BacktoBodrum16 April 2013 at 23:21

      They are so vibrant, they glisten in the sunlight.

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  10. Anonymous16 April 2013 at 10:09

    Beautiful

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  11. Alan16 April 2013 at 12:19

    . . just love street art and artists brightening the world for all of us.

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  12. Neslihan Zabci Erdal16 April 2013 at 23:02

    Thank you very much Annie, for this beautiful article and the photographs. Have you seen the most recent one, with the camel?

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    1. BacktoBodrum16 April 2013 at 23:23

      I love the camel, unfortunately I didn't take a very good photo of it. I'll go back and make a better job next time.

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  13. Kathy17 April 2013 at 00:27

    What a really splendid idea. I love mosaics and it's great to see the art of mosaic in a modern incarnation.

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    1. BacktoBodrum17 April 2013 at 20:52

      It's good that a bad planning move should turn out so well.

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  14. Anonymous17 April 2013 at 08:13

    So pretty! I love mosaic, and particularly enjoyed Gaudi's work in Barcelona's Parc Güell. Maybe Bodrum town council should consider doing more of this "cosmetic surgery" - it's so much more attractive than concrete!

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    1. BacktoBodrum17 April 2013 at 20:52

      I was thinking how "Gaudiesque" Bodrum is looking.

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  15. Westy17 April 2013 at 10:40

    Such a creative and beautiful idea...I love them.

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  16. Ozlem's Turkish Table18 April 2013 at 19:32

    Very nice to see the art in the streets, especially the mosaics, as we have a huge heritage; vibrant and colorful : ) Ozlem

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  17. Jay Artale (aka Roving Jay)19 April 2013 at 11:06

    What a great use of space. Those tubs look like they were made for mosaics. Look forward to seeing them all when they're completed. (would love to see the camel)

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    1. BacktoBodrum21 April 2013 at 22:43

      I'll post photos when the next mosaics are installed.

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  18. neslihan zabci erdal7 May 2013 at 23:07

    There are a few more already! We have finished the 7th one, which is a gecko with flowers. Since the camel, we made mandarins, an octopus and sails&geraniums.

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