Belmont Station Mirror
Completed: January, 2024
During a trip to Chicago I came across an art installation titled We All Ride the Train Together. The mosaic came from a collaboration between artist David Lee Csicsko and Erin Adams Design, a tile design studio based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The art instantly caught my eye as I got off the train, the bright colors stood out against the grey scenery.
I enjoyed the narrative behind the art, that the diversity found in the city of Chicago, at certain times of day, can all be found on a single train car. The columns that framed the entrance of the station had a couple of smiling, friendly faces framed by a simple radial design. I was drawn to these mosaics the most and attempted to make a design inspired by it.
For this project, I upcycled some scrap cardboard to create a tiled frame for a convex mirror. While We All Ride the Train Together used abstract portraiture to represent diversity, I used a convex mirror. This allows the viewer to see themselves and their surroundings- their identity and the diversity that surrounds them in their space.
The colorful ceramic tiles were placed in a radial pattern to imitate the original art, but broken up by small mirrored tiles. Diffusing the reflection of light throughout the piece creates harmony and prevents the frame from looking dull next to the convex mirror. The perpendicular edges of the frame creates a more dynamic form and distances the piece from the wall.
Overall, I enjoy all the imperfections found in this handmade, functional piece of art. It embodies the experience I had in Chicago when I encountered We All Ride the Train Together and I hope it makes others stop in their tracks just like I did at Belmont Station.
