Barbados Floor

Martin Cheek Mosaics, Mosaic Commissions and Courses

|

Private Commissions: Barbados Floor

Martin_Cheek_Mosaics_dancers_drummer

This mosaic was commissioned for a private house on Barbados.

Martin says:
“My brief was to design a mosaic floor that would capture life on the Caribbean island. I was given a list of all things Bajan, which included dominoes, cocktails and breadfruit trees.

The actual mosaic was made in Mexico. I spent six weeks in the mosaic factory, overseeing the work. This is the first time that I haven’t made everything by myself in England, but the sheer size of the floor meant that it was simply not possible for me to work fast enough to finish it on time.

The mosaic was made in many small parts – like pieces of a huge jigsaw puzzle. The design is firstly drawn onto strong brown craft paper and then cut up into the ‘jigsaw’ not in even squares but in haphazard zigzags that that the joins don’t show so obviously on the finished floor.

Each piece of mosaic was then boxed up and shipped to Barbados to be laid down in situ. The mosaic is made ‘indirect’ in other words it is upside down and back to front, the paper side being the final surface. Thus the finished mosaic is perfectly flat.”

Please click on the images below to go to the larger versions.

Back to top

Martin Cheek Mosaics: Blue Gecko

All rights reserved © Martin Cheek