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.

36 comments:

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

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

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

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

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    1. Ugly and pointless - Were tanks expected on the streets?

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

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

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

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  8. 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. What a brilliant idea. Those mosaics are beautiful.

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    1. They are so vibrant, they glisten in the sunlight.

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

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

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  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. I was thinking how "Gaudiesque" Bodrum is looking.

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

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

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  17. 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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