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Cau Ferrat Museum

Exhibition "Gaudí & trencadís"

 

Image of the exhibition "Gaudí & trencadís"

 

Image of the exhibition "Gaudí & trencadís"

Gaudí & trencadís

Creativity and Recycling

«Colour is life.» (Antoni Gaudí)

The trencadís mosaic is one of the images that best identify the architecture of Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). In Catalonia and Valencia, walls have been covered with coloured tiles, a resource of great beauty and hygienic functionality, since the Middle Ages. Thanks to the proper use of ornamentation, architecture represented, throughout Modernisme (the Catalan Art Nouveau), the synthesis of all the arts, creating a rich combination of shapes, volumes, textures and colours.

Gaudí experimented with all kinds of materials, especially ceramics, replacing the popular look of traditional mosaic tiles with fragments resulting from irregular cutting. The cutting “breaks up” (“trenca” in Catalan) the tiles into fragments -hence the name trencadís. A large number of artisans, industrialists and bricklayers emerged around Gaudí, with the architect Josep M. Jujol (1879-1949) standing out among them. They all shared creative wealth and a love for recycling materials.

SPACES

<p><strong>The Legacy of Ancient Mosaics</strong></p>

<p><br />
Since the mid-nineteenth century, architects have been attracted to the beauty of the tile compositions on the walls of Spanish-Arabic buildings made with tiling, small pieces of regular-shaped ceramic pieces.</p>

<p>Gaud&iacute;&rsquo;s trencad&iacute;s was inspired by this type of covering, deconstructing regular geometry.</p>

<p>Having been born in Reus, he had the opportunity to see some samples in the cloister of Poblet Monastery that was still preserved on site.</p>
SPACE 1 Mosaic and its “Little Brother”, Trencadís. The Art of Fragmenting to Cr
SPACE 1 Mosaic and its “Little Brother”, Trencadís. The Art of Fragmenting to Create an Undivided Whole
<p style="margin-right:82px"><strong>The Entrance Pavilions of Torre G&uuml;ell in Les Corts (Barcelona, 1884-1887). The </strong><strong>Decomposition of Regular Geometry</strong></p>

<p style="margin-right:62px">This complex was the first commission received by Gaud&iacute; from Eusebi G&uuml;ell. The well-known dragon iron gate connects two buildings: the keeper&rsquo;s residence and the stables. Gaud&iacute; used <em>trencad&iacute;s</em> for the first time due to Mudejar influence, still combining regular geometric pieces and always using low-cost ceramic materials.</p>
SPACE 2 Evolution of Trencadís in Gaudí’s Work. Step by Step. Construction by Co
SPACE 2 Evolution of Trencadís in Gaudí’s Work. Step by Step. Construction by Construction

OBJECTS

L’ornament polychrome
L’ornament polychrome
L’ornament polychrome
Gaudi´s Fragment Evolution
Gaudi´s Fragment Evolution
Gaudi´s Fragment Evolution
Venetian Mosaic (mainly, vertical surfaces)
Venetian Mosaic (mainly, verti
Venetian Mosaic (mainly, vertical surfaces)
Stone Mosaic (floors and vertical surfaces)
Stone Mosaic (floors and verti
Stone Mosaic (floors and vertical surfaces)
Ceramic Mosaic (vertical surfaces)
Ceramic Mosaic (vertical surfa
Ceramic Mosaic (vertical surfaces)
Trencadís (vertical faces)
Trencadís (vertical faces)
Trencadís (vertical faces)
Tiles (imitation marble)
Tiles (imitation marble)
Tiles (imitation marble)
Decorated Mortar
Decorated Mortar
Decorated Mortar
<p><strong>Samples of Materials</strong></p>

<p style="margin-right:19px">Recovered tiles, window glass, remnants of floor marble, fragments of porcelain objects and the vitrified sandstone layer inside lime kilns, form the catalogue of basic materials for Gaud&iacute;&rsquo;s <em>trencad&iacute;s</em>, that has already been outlined in this work.</p>

<p>Materials and original objects</p>
A Palace for the Güell Family
A Palace for the Güell Family
Recovered Tiles
Recovered Tiles
Recovered Tiles
Stone Bearings Made in a Mould
Stone Bearings Made in a Mould
Stone Bearings Made in a Mould
Garden benches (c. 1902 - 1904)
Garden benches (c. 1902 - 1904
Garden benches (c. 1902 - 1904)
Stylised Flower
Stylised Flower
Stylised Flower
<p>Glass ball with coloured sand</p>
Glass ball with coloured sand
Glass ball with coloured sand
Natural Materials (stone)
Natural Materials (stone)
Natural Materials (stone)
A Touch of Green
A Touch of Green
A Touch of Green
Fish on the Walls
Fish on the Walls
Fish on the Walls
Unglazed Tile
Unglazed Tile
Unglazed Tile
<p style="margin-left:5px">In the Bell Towers...</p>

<p>Gaud&iacute; waited four years for his Venetian glass order to arrive so he could crown the first tower. His intention was to produce this material in Catalonia.</p>

<p>True-scale reproduction of one sphere, Venetian Mosaic and current &ldquo;Gres&rdquo; Ceramic</p>

<p>&Oslash; 45 cm</p>

<p>Production: Montse Ag&uuml;ero; material loaned by the Bas&iacute;lica de la Sagrada Fam&iacute;lia</p>

<p style="margin-left:5px; margin-right:394px">&nbsp;</p>
The Last Stop: The Sagrada Fam
The Last Stop: The Sagrada Família

MAP

INFORMATION

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http://museusdesitges.cat
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