    |
|
"I create art to express the way I see the world, how it is and how it could be. My art is strongly related to a sense of place and a connection to the land, seeing terrain in terms of its geology and topography. I remain fascinated with an altered view of the earth on which we all live, landscapes both familiar and unreal. I want viewers to look at the world around them with different eyes after seeing my art." Just like a mosaic that is created from many tesserae, Sonia King's life as an artist has evolved to incorporate many elements; mosaic artist, teacher, President of the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA), and writer. Sonia's first contact with mosaics was as a child when her mother worked in the medium. Her mother created mosaics in the sixties and she remembers her tiles and the mass of colours. She went to art school but never quite found her medium so she moved into the corporate world. After a successful business career, Sonia returned to the arts. One day she picked up her mother's old nippers and some of her tiles, made a mosaic and knew what she was going to do for the rest of her life. Sonia creates one-of-a-kind, contemporary mosaic art for gallery, architectural, community and home settings. Using gold, marble, smalti, vitreous glass, ceramic and other materials, Sonia creates backsplashes, mirrors, murals, and floor insets. Sonia's highly original work is represented in private and corporate collections and is exhibited both nationally and internationally. Her most outrageous commission was for a well-known Dallas heart surgeon: an anatomically correct mosaic heart with arteries of silver and veins (ahem) of gold. She is currently creating four large mosaic walls for Children's Medical Centre of Dallas. As for inspiration there is a long list of mosaic artists who continually inspire her: Marco de Luca, Jane Muir, Emma Biggs, Elaine M. Goodwin, Verdiano Marzi, Marco Bravura, Felice Nittolo. Sonia also looks to her environment and the landscapes that surround her. Sonia explains "The natural world, landscapes and light. I am fascinated by the altered views of the earth. Are we looking from a satellite or through a microscope?" Her love of travel also provides an endless source of inspiration as she travels from one unique environment to another. In addition to her role with SAMA Sonia has been granted membership and serves as a director of the Associazone Internazionale Mosacisti Contemporanei (AIMC) in Ravenna, Italy. She has spoken on mosaic art in England, France and Brazil and is now teaching classes internationally. It was her love of travel and passion for teaching that made it easy for The Mosaic Association of Australia (or "Mos-Oz" as it is affectionately known) to entice Sonia to Australia to teach. Mos-Oz was formed in response to the growing interest in mosaics as an art form in Australia. A group of enthusiasts pooled their energies in March 2002 and launched the Association, which now has 120 members. As the only organisation of its kind in Australia, the Association is committed to furthering the interests and education of mosaic artists nationwide. In 2002 they persuaded Martin Cheek, the UK's foremost mosaic artist, to visit Australia for an exchange of ideas and a workshop. Mos-Oz is the brainchild of Nola Diamantopoulos, a well-known mosaic artist based in Sydney's Rozelle. Teaching is also an important aspect of what Nola does, Nola believes in challenging her students with the idea: "What do you think you can't do?" "I was very excited to have Sonia come down here, it was not only a great opportunity for the students but as a fledgling association it gave us the opportunity to discuss the worldwide movement of mosaics, compare notes about organisations, exchange ideas and to learn from an association that has been in place for over four years", said Nola. The three-day intensive program allowed participants to explore a new technique or material whilst exchanging ideas with an instructor from half way around the world. The experience and cultural exchange was every bit as important as the instruction. Sonia saw both similarities and differences with the United States. "There are some differences, in Australia you have access to some Asian material that gives the mosaic a whole different texture. There is a strong graphic sense in the work, expressed though pattern and colour." Sonia also sees a lot of similarities. "Europe has a long tradition of mosaic art and there is a greater availability of traditional materials at reasonable prices. In the States there is a great freedom in choice of materials - anything might end up in a mosaic. You could say new traditions are emerging. The situation is similar in Australia." "The other similarity is the level of enthusiasm and commitment to the art. It's similar in a way to what is happening in the United States - a big upsurge in popularity of mosaics - SAMA is proof of this," Sonia added SAMA was formed in 1999 and has already reached 800 members from many countries. Like Mos-Oz, SAMA is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of mosaic art and the advancement of mosaic artists through research, education, and networking. "The diversity of the membership has created a vital and evolving organisation. The ability to spread the word through the Internet has helped but most importantly the ability to spread responsibilities amongst many volunteers has made a big impact," says Sonia. Nola agrees, "Spreading the workload is integral to our success, members must recognise it as their organisation and they will only get out as much as they are all willing to contribute. We have lots of ideas that we want to develop, which of course, costs money. This is a not for profit organisation, and the committee members give freely of their time, and at times, generous financial contributions. Our first exhibition was a standout success and we must continue to build on this good work." Once again travel plays a big part in Sonia's latest project. Sonia is the author of the Sterling Publishing book "Mosaic Techniques & Traditions" (ISBN: 0806975776). The book provides historical information on mosaics and mosaic-making traditions from around the world, extensive discussion of materials and design issues, in-depth technical instruction on the creation of mosaics as well as seventeen projects. Additionally, the book features a running gallery showcasing a variety of works by international, contemporary mosaic artists. ."I have been fortunate to visit mosaics around the world and originally wanted to do a mosaic travel book. And that evolved into trying to write the book I always wished I'd had when starting out." The future sees Sonia on the road again returning to Australia in October, whereupon she will cross paths with Nola once more. They will meet up at the International Association of Contemporary Mosaic (AIMC) 9th International Symposium of Mosaic to be held in Melbourne, (27 Oct - 1 Nov 2004). It certainly does look like Australia is making its mark on the international mosaic community - and making some friends along the way as well! |
