Andamento

Below is a video about andamento that I made while working on a project titled Paths Taken

 
 

 

More on Andamento:

Mosaic artists use the term “andamento” to talk about the sense of movement, or flow, in a mosaic. The particular kind of flowing movement—as in moving water—or conversely, the lack of movement—as in the stillness of a night sky—must first be chosen by the artist. Then she must decide how to best express the movement—the andamento—through the selection of cutting and laying techniques, and/or choice of materials, and/or color palette.

In the Beginner’s Mind series, different andamenti are used in each of the pieces № 1 through № 4, shown below.

Beginner's Mind № 1 10" x 8" | 25cm x 20cm. Smalti, vitreous, marble, other glass, mosaic gold.

Beginner's Mind № 2 10" x 8" | 25cm x 20cm. Smalti, vitreous, other glass, mosaic gold.

Beginner's Mind № 4 10" x 8" | 25cm x 20cm. Smalti, vitreous, marble, other glass, mosaic gold.

№ 1 is an example of a single mosaic using more than one andamento. There are sections that flow and sections which are static. To create movement, the pieces in the blue sections were cut and laid in a way so as to express a gentle flow. The yellow pieces—like islands within the flowing blue—are cut and laid in a way so as to provide stillness. The alternation of flow with static makes the mosaic more dynamic, as each type of andamento enhances the other.

№ 2 employs a single andamento, which is entirely linear. The pieces are cut in rectangles and squares and laid in rows, to best express the linear andamento.

№ 4 is primarily a single andamento, one of flaring outward and upward. The pieces are cut primarily in rectangles and wedges, and laid in a way so as to seamlessly expand. Unlike № 2, the pieces are not laid in rows; while there is some sense of curved lines, a mix of varying widths allows for the flaring movement upward. The gold, curved, partial circle at the bottom, from which the expanding movement flows, is a different andamento—a circular movement—where the pieces are cut in uniformly-sized and shaped rectangles, which emphasizes the circle.