| Just what is pique assiette mosaic? The short | | | | collaborating with GaudI on the Guell Park |
| answer is that pique assiette is a style of | | | | (constructed between 1900 and 1914) and took |
| mosaic that incorporates pieces of broken | | | | responsibility for the mosaics of the |
| ceramics - plates, dishes, cups, tiles - and | | | | snake-like bench and the ceiling of the |
| other found objects into the design. The | | | | hypostyle "Hall of a Hundred Columns". It was |
| longer answer, to think about the appeal and | | | | an established practice (known as trencadis) |
| expressiveness of pique assiette, must take | | | | to use broken, waste tiles as a cladding to a |
| in ideas of lateral thinking, humour, the art | | | | building - this was a technique well suited |
| of recycling, and the significance of found | | | | to the curved, organic surfaces GaudI |
| objects. | | | | designed into his buildings. |
| | | | |
| The basic idea is an old one. Roman | | | | Jujol, however, took this to another level. |
| mosaicists used pieces of terracotta vessels | | | | He broke whole tiles and fitted them to the |
| to obtain red colours in their work and also | | | | curves of the structures and also used tiles |
| glass from broken bottles. | | | | he had fired and inscribed himself. In |
| | | | another bold statement, he incorporated |
| In Britain, fragments of the red-glazed | | | | broken coloured bottles, fragments of a |
| Samian ware (imported from Gaul) were used. | | | | broken china doll and broken plates from his |
| Any busy mosaic workshop would surely have | | | | own dinner service. He created a collage of |
| scavenged and stockpiled the otherwise | | | | items personal to him in a style that has |
| worthless broken items, rather than buying | | | | inspired and excited millions of people since |
| them when needed. | | | | then. |
| | | | |
| There is a long tradition of using discarded | | | | What does "pique assiette" mean? The term |
| materials in the creation of something new. | | | | "pique assiette" for a mosaic of broken |
| This is particularly true of building | | | | crockery originates in the activities of |
| materials, but a prime case of the pique | | | | Raymond Isidore of Chartres, northern France, |
| assiette principle is in the reconstruction | | | | who became known by the name "Picassiette". |
| of medieval stained glass. | | | | In 1930s France, Isidore began the obsessive |
| | | | enrichment of his entire property (inside and |
| A large number of glass windows were | | | | out) with intricate and decorative mosaics of |
| deliberately destroyed during religious | | | | salvaged shards, and his house came to be |
| upheavals such as the Reformation or the | | | | called La Maison Picassiette. |
| Puritanism of the English Civil War. In many | | | | |
| instances the fragments were re-assembled | | | | The nickname he was given suggests that his |
| into new windows, such as Winchester | | | | neighbours were not enthusiastic about his |
| Cathedral's West Window, or the Erpingham | | | | achievements. In French, a "pique-assiette" |
| Window at Norwich Cathedral (right). The | | | | is a scrounger, sponger or gatecrasher, |
| challenge to create something new, | | | | someone whose interest in stealing a plate |
| spectacular and meaningful from the precious | | | | would generally be the food on it. |
| shards was addressed in different ways at | | | | |
| different sites. | | | | "Picassiette" may well be a pun on "Picasso", |
| | | | while "piqué" can mean "crazy" or "nuts". |
| There are examples on a domestic scale too. | | | | Despite this early disdain, 30,000 people a |
| "Putty pots", popular in Victorian times, | | | | year visit "La Maison Picassiette" these |
| were jugs, plates or other household items | | | | days, and the term "pique assiette" is used |
| spread with a layer of putty or plaster. | | | | around the world. |
| Various personal "treasures", such as pieces | | | | |
| of crockery, jewellery or glass would be | | | | It's an interesting thought that perhaps the |
| pressed into this and allowed to set in | | | | way this nickname was invented was |
| place. Also of note are African funeral | | | | unconsciously mimicking what Isidore was |
| traditions of decorating gravesites and | | | | doing. It took pieces of language, broke them |
| "mourning vessels" with items recalling the | | | | up and created something new, just as he did |
| life that had passed. These might include | | | | with crockery. |
| crockery and trinkets. The artefacts used in | | | | |
| these examples had a particular significance, | | | | La Maison Picassiette is often quoted as an |
| because they were specially selected and | | | | example of "outsider art" or "art brut", |
| related directly to the maker or the mourned | | | | because Isidore had no artistic training or |
| person. | | | | connection with the art world. Pique assiette |
| | | | mosaic has found a place in the work of other |
| This folk art practice crossed over into the | | | | outsider artists too. Certainly the materials |
| world of "formal" architecture in Barcelona | | | | are generally inexpensive and accessible, and |
| in the early 20th century, thanks to the | | | | their durability has allowed the creation of |
| architect Josep Maria Jujol. Jujol was | | | | visionary constructions |