Sunday, February 12, 2012

The Battersea Floor

The Battersea Floor. Sounds like an epic poem, doest it? It's actually just the floor of the Battersea Art Centre building.

While I sketched upstairs, Robin was in the Battersea Art Centre lobby studying and reading. She noticed some very cool mosaic work on the lobby floor and shot these photos.

Mosaic bees were scattered about the floor. Robin asked a young man sitting behind the reception desk what is the history and significance of the bees. He looked at her with a puzzled look, as if to say "there's bees on the floor?" Predictably, he didn't have a clue why they were there. 

I wonder how many people walk on these bees without realizing they're walking on art.

The floor (along with the entire building) is a beautiful example of functional art. 

Fortunately, the BAC realizes the building is a treasure and has long range plans for restoration. The citizens of the area protested in 1965 when plans were made to tear down the building and replace it with a new library and a swimming pool. A local campaign was organized to save the building and turn it into a community arts center.

An intriguing photo of a slice of the BAC lobby, captured by Robin and her iPhone.