KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
28th January 2021
We strongly recommend viewing KBzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.
Mosaics get the blues in latest Best Collection
The peacock, a favourite artistic motif that dates back to ancient Greek and Roman mosaics, which was popularised again by the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements, is the inspiration behind artist Veronica Tommasin's latest designs, for Trend's inimitable glass mosaic 'Best Collection'.
Composed of thousands of micro mosaic tesserae, in the classic tradition, Veronica Tommasin's designs are translated by Italian tilemaker Trend into decorative mosaic modules, using digital technology. To achieve the exact shades envisaged by the artist, Trend has even produced two new fused glass tiles, Brillante 276 and Brillante 277, which are rich, dusty Wedgwood blues.
Trend's new Best Collection 'artistic decorations' comprise Peacock, a Peacock White variation, and an almost equally favoured floral motif, Gardenia. A refined exercise in style, the deceptively simple Gardenia design is made up from a total of 17 different Vitreo and Brillante 1cm x 1cm tile colours in the white-blue spectrum.
As with the earlier monochromatic Best Collection launched last Summer, the latest executions by Italian artist and designer Tommasin are precisely replicated in 1 x 1 glass mosaic tiles, employing advanced CAD software. The micro mosaic format minimises the pixelated effect on complex mosaics such as this, especially when used with colour-matched grout lines, facilitating an ornamental style akin to painting and textiles.
Underlining the range of shades available in Trend's 1 x 1 colour themes, the various blues, whites and lustrous black have been selected from the semi-transparent Vitreo collection and the coloured glass Brillante range, which is enriched with sparkling veins of enamel and avventurina stone.
Featured for centuries in mosaics, frescoes, paintings and graphic art as a symbol of wealth, beauty, royalty and rebirth, the peacock has also been depicted by such comparatively modern names as William Morris, James Whistler and Aubrey Beardsley. Following a strong artistic tradition, Veronica Tommasin's Peacock combines this regal creature with a floral motif in an ornate repeat pattern, creating a sumptuous Wedgwood-like effect. It incorporates just five different 1 x 1 tile colours and is supplied in modules of 105cm x 158cm in size, for combining into murals or using as mosaic panels.
Peacock White incorporates a similar design in just three tile colours, Brillante 280 white and Brillante 275 and 277 tones of blue, giving a more modern, possibly oriental decorative treatment. Again, the standard module size is 105cm x 158cm.
Gardenia features a simple flower motif emerging from the background colour, the use of seventeen different Vitreo and Brillante designs emphasising the precise rendition made possible by modern computer techniques. Measuring 158cm x 158cm, each Gardenia mosaic module contains nearly 25,000 individual tiles, although thanks to the polyurethane web backing these minute tesserae are comparatively quick and easy to install, with a perfect finish assured.
Suitable for use in living rooms, dining areas, hallways and kitchens, Trend's Best Collection offers all the outstanding technical properties and long-lasting qualities of authentic glass mosaic, including resistance to heat, burns, sunlight, frost, water and chemicals. In line with Trend's wholehearted commitment to sustainability, the 4mm thick Vitreo and Brillante tiles are made using up to 59% post-consumer recycled glass, combining a classic tradition with modern eco-friendly technology. The latest additions to the Best Collection suite are available from authorised Trend stockists from £490 per square metre.
T: 01892 509690
E: [email protected]
5th April 2013