An Overwhelming Experience

Magic Gardens

Joanna Nawn

An Overwhelming Mosaic ExperienceOn September 19th I explored the Philadelphia Magic Garden created by Isaiah Zagar. This project was started in 1994 and was deemed a nonprofit in 2004. This was an experience that I had never before encountered. Tiles, glass bottles, bricks, bicycle wheels and glass surround the exhibit. The walls, ceiling and floors are completely covered with all of these items in such a way that every little detail could be its own art piece. I had never had such an overwhelming experience like this before. The randomized structure of the work format was amazing to me. When walking through the gardens it can seem overwhelming, but in a great way due to how immersed you are in the work. There is so much to explore and observe in the garden. I was taken back by the hard work put into the gardens due to the lengths Isaiah Zagar must have taken to make this masterpiece. His mosaics are an inspiration the community it is located in and everyone should appreciate his hard work. If we look at Antoni Gaudi in comparison to Isaiah Zagar we can really learn a lot about the trade of mosaic work. Antoni Gaudi creates beautiful exterior mosaics, which gives the viewer a look into how Zagar found some of his inspiration from. Zagar is a bit different from Gaudi due to the way he keeps to pastel colors in different sections of his mosaics. It is almost as if his work is to be seen in color-coded sections.

This experience was amazing and unlike anything I have experienced before in any artworld. Isaiah Zagar’s mosaics are timeless and truly beautiful. It was wonderful to hear that the community works hard in keeping the Magic Gardens alive for all to see.

This work hidden towards to roof will give the viewer a new sense of recycling with the cascade of green and blue glass bottles placed as if they were tumbling down the walls in a wave like formation.

The bicycle wheels add to the sense of tumbling.

A word and tiled explosion are encased in a frame, giving it a sense of overwhelmingness and randomness. We see faces in various spots among the words and tiles. This gives a sense that these words are in reference to the people depicted,

giving us a look into who they are as people.

A beautifully tiled sunset is brought to focus due to its vast difference to the tiled wall surrounding it. Here is one place that brushstrokes are seen and give the garden a new feel. Pastel blues, yellows and greens are a calming sight to gaze at

while exploring the gardens.

Tiles of human form overtake the viewer bringing an awareness to various forms of anatomy displayed. These tiles are hidden in its own little caved in area awaiting a viewer to take a closer look. The color changes surrounding the tiles

makes a strategic focal point.

A simple bicycle wheel stands among the bricks and tiles letting viewers gaze at the vastness of tiles surrounding them. It is almost as if the bicycle wheel is a new vantage point for the seeing works from far away. Located on one of the first

walls when entering the garden, it demands attention.

About the size of a large paperweight figures emerge out of cement next to glass bottles. The background is surrounded by tiles of letters and faces. The figures are a bit disconfigured, but it also seems as if the figures were dancing and were

frozen in their stances.