The River of Life

Project Spotlight: April 2011

LOCATION:University of Iowa flagship, Iowa City, Iowa

PROJECT:River of Life - Architecture Commission MuralARTIST:Gary Drostle

TILE SUPPLIER:French Winckelman Procelain with Bisazza Glass Mosaics

LATICRETE DISTRIBUTOR:LATICRETE® Direct Supply

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By Eric Carson

In the “River of Life,” London mosaic mural artist Gary Drostle explores the relationship of a Midwestern American town and its people with the river that slices through it. Descending southeast to join the Mississippi on eventual passage to New Orleans, whether carrying riches of the times or renewing vast farmlands, the Iowa River defines both the history and future of Iowa City and those who call it home.

In a brilliant display of color and craft, the University of Iowa architecture commission mosaic art mural sparkles with life and wisdom from the floor of the main causeway as the signature design element of the new $59 million wellness center on the flagship UI campus.

In a story told through elegant andamento, the River of Life takes an insightful and reminding look at the inherent alliance between nature and man, river and city, through the refreshing lens of new perspective in a mosaic art masterpiece installed with premium materials manufactured by LATICRETE.

Drostle’s spectacular, 12' x 47' (3.6m x 14.3m) creation is a testament to the enduring beauty of mosaic fine art, met in full for the final act by the spirit of LATICRETE people and the performance of LATICRETE ® products. And in so many ways the River of Life commission, from concept to grouting, peeks in at the evolution of the centuries old craft and by nature shines a light on how LATICRETE materials and methods have earned a loyal following among the world’s most-skilled mosaic artisans.

For over half a century, LATICRETE has exclusively focused on driving demand for tile and stone with innovative product design and systems developed for efficient, permanent installations. LATICRETE has also passed down the willingness to support the industry with product donations and a host of other free tools and services online, adopting a company-wide approach to the cause. For the River of Life, LATICRETE co-owner Henry Rothberg arranged to donate the specified products for the mural installation, and then became one of the biggest supporters of the project online and in blogs.

With premium, polymer-fortified thin-set mortar and the latest breakthrough in cement-based grout from LATICRETE, a special team of highly-skilled mosaic artisans completed the elaborate installation using the traditional two-step method direct over masonry. Sent from London packaged in 16 boxes and paper-face mounted on 200 sheets, the River of Life now rests in a cropped field of terrazzo as the centerpiece of the three-level wellness and fitness facility.

In spectacular tesserae, Drostle examines his vision of wellness, not as a singular moment but rather a wayfaring voyage through time in a parallel with the twisting, turning Iowa River. In a field of river-blue, ¾" x ¾" hand-cut porcelain mosaics interspersed with Bisazza glass highlights, Drostle weaves the River of Life into and out of lighter and darker textile patterned sections in search of a life in balance. Here, the river first encounters well-being when it drifts into an earthen yellow background of the same style French Winckelman unglazed porcelain mosaics as the rolling plains of the heartland. In the darker, outer-lying edges beyond well-being, the river flows into deep-gray despair just as life out of balance will.

“The river symbolizing life is an ancient image connecting our most ancient cultures,” said Drostle. “The river as the bringer of life and purification. I imagined the ground the Iowa River flows over as the rich pattern of human existence, culture and knowledge. The river travels through light and dark patterned sections of well-being and in some parts, the blue lines break out completely, portraying the extremes of a life not in balance.”

Given the size and incredible amount of detail involved, the River of Life mosaic mural was a project in every sense of the word. The stunning final creation the direct result of hundreds of days and countless hours of planning, measuring and adjusting by highly-skilled professionals hired by Drostle for the architecture commission. In fact, the River of Life gathered some of the world’s best known mosaic artists to his studio by the Thames, and the sum total of their expertise and years of training can be found in the greatness of this true work of art.

The River of Life and LATICRETE flow together in an epic mosaic mural commission

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The experience for mosaic artist and Texas native Julie Richey began this April with a two-week trip to London, well-documented in her insightful and colorful blog for Mosaic Arts Now. Richey had already been enlisted by Drostle for the final application with LATICRETE® products in Iowa, so this visit was important to get more familiar with the materials and finished design.

It was here that Richey first worked closely on the mural with Guilia Vogrig, a graduate of the prestigious Spilimbergo Mosaic School in Italy, also destined for the Great Midwest come June. Vogrig, along with Notre Dame PhD candidate Levente Borvak, Richey and Drostle, would arrive on the University of Iowa campus nearly six-weeks later as the official mural installers after carefully labeling each sheet and packaging the mosaics for shipment to the U.S.

Back in London during the final stages of planning, LATICRETE technical service experts worked with Drostle and his team to create the right materials spec inclusive of the LATICRETE warranty program. With what Richey described as “Necco Wafer” thin porcelain tiles and 1/8" thick glass mosaics needing an extraordinarily thin, yet strong adhesive, LATICRETE® 254 Platinum thin-set had the chance to show off its more technical side. The versatile, multipurpose thin-set mortar impressed the team even with the delicate task of fixing nearly three-hundred thousand mosaic tiles.

“We went through six, 50-pound bags of LATICRETE 254 Platinum,” says Richey. “We loved the stuff. It was sticky, pliable and odorless. What more could we ask for. We set the mural in an assembly line process each with a specific job. Moving in rows, left to right in order to work off the fresh LATICRETE mortar, Levente would hand me a section of the mural and I would place it. Gary would follow, tamp and flatten the mosaics, and Guilia would begin to sponge the brown paper with water to relax the pasta amido flour paste from the surface.”

The final two days of the installation would feature the team working with perhaps the finest grout available for the cement-based assembly of tile, mosaic or otherwise. Since the River of Life was meant to spend forever as a conversation starter on campus, the mosaics were installed with

LATICRETE PermaColor™ Grout to protect the long-lasting beauty of the exquisite tesserae. Through cement-based technology, LATICRETE developed the revolutionary grout for both walls and floors, inside or out, offering the unmatched ability to lock in consistent color. Reinforced with Kevlar® for added strength and equipped with Microban® technology for improved stain-resistance, LATICRETE PermaColor Grout was selected in the color Raven to help carry the murals sophisticated andamento, or movement.

“I was particularly impressed with LATICRETE PermaColor Grout,” said Drostle. “It has the strength of sanded grout and the finesse of unsanded grout. I was happy to be using products with the latest polymer-cement technology, and noticed the adhesive had excellent strength for the difficult to bond, high-fired and smooth porcelain tiles.”

More than just the skill of Drostle and his team, the elaborate mural takes a close look at the state of mosaic fine art and its place in modern building. The very real contribution of LATICRETE technology ensuring the almost unlimited range of application and mosaic design endures for the time-honored medium, particularly in the context of sustainable today.

The River of Life is a snapshot Gary Drostle took of a singular moment in time about the endless journey of humanity. It’s a graceful, artistic render on life in Iowa City, Iowa, and the ties that bind a river to its people. The struggle for inner peace and balance in life told in a mosaic mural story for the ages. Salvation found only through the journey.

The river and the sea.

* See Data Sheets 663.0 and 663.5 for complete product information.

**LATICRETE Hydro Ban™ can be flood tested in 2 hours when cured at 70°F (21°C) or above 50 percent relative humidity. It can be flood tested in 24 hours when cured at 50 - 69°F (10 – 20.6°C) and up to 70 percent relative humidity. The time to flood test starts when the second coat has cured from a light sage green to a darker olive green color.

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