Deborah Aldo

Tell us a little about your background.

I have been an artist since I was old enough to understand the concept. I remember making marks all over the walls at three and four years old. The reaction was not favorable at the time; I am not sure if it was the surface or the marks themselves! My favorite way to spend time as a child was in the garden amid the plants, wandering the brook in my backyard and disappearing into my bedroom, sitting on the floor with a box of crayons or paints making drawings of the natural world that I had just seen outside.

In high school I finished the required classes early and spent my senior year in an art studio with 5 other people. I went to college for art, followed by another degree in communications and marketing, and then got an advanced degree in landscape architecture and horticulture. Yes, I got three degrees and, surprisingly, I actually use them all! I spent time after art school trying to figure out how to use those skills in a variety of jobs. Today and for the last 24 years I have created scale drawings and architectural renderings which are then turned into mosaics. Some of the works are small but most are large works such as pebble and stone paving, sculptures, or hanging panels. Recently I have been working on pushing the boundaries of traditional mosaics.

When did you know you were an artist? 

I came here to this life as an artist, it seems prescient. There was never a time when I was not compelled to be an artist or a maker. Art has always been a constant in my life.

Was there a pivotal moment for you?

Yes! I spent my senior year of high school mainly in an art studio. When I graduated my father took me to Europe for much of the summer. It was the “grand tour” and to this day one of my favorite experiences. My father owned a business in Sweden and had many business associates and friends in many countries. While he worked, I explored. I was 17 when I graduated and had never been more than a short plane ride away and never out of the country. Now I was “across the pond” and learning to travel, to explore, to negotiate, and to absorb as much art and culture as I could drink in and I was very thirsty.

I spent time in many countries but the pivotal moment came in Paris, France. I went to the Louvre and spent the day in the museum. I saw the Mona Lisa: too tiny, too many people to wade through to catch a glimpse. Meh…. I walked away to find more to explore and ran straight into the most pivotal moment of my life. It literally changed the trajectory of everything. I came across a fireplace surround: It was a hunt scene; I could see the fear in the fox’s eyes. The red jackets of the riders stood out from the grey dullness of the day. I could hear the dogs braying. I could not stop looking at the story unfolding before my eyes but when I finally did I saw that it was made of thin threads of glass, a micro mosaic. I had never seen a mosaic before but I knew that I loved this art form the second I saw it. I knew, with every cell of my being, that I would make mosaics and they have been a huge part of my life for decades now.

Where do you find inspiration?

I love to look at architecture, to understand how things are constructed, to mentally dismantle them and rebuild them. To think about how I would do it differently and why. I also find inspiration outside, in the woods or at the water. It’s always invigorating and healing.

What is your favorite medium?

I prefer drawing more than painting. It is faster and mostly used as a means to an end to communicate something to a client or someone looking at the drawing. I often start with a drawing to make a mosaic, which is my favorite medium.

Can you describe your process?

For my personal work, I am inspired to create when I find an issue that is meaningful. The environment is front and center for me. The things that motivate me are a concern about our water, habitat loss, or social justice issues such as gender inequality, human trafficking, or racism. I begin researching, reading anything I can find on the subject. The research informs my work and is the jumping off point for creating sketches, small sculptures, and then the actual finished work. I make a substrate and then build up from there, layering mesh and concrete, or carving and prepping the base so I can cover it with glass, stone, plastic, and/or metal. The fun begins as I begin to think about how the materials I’ve chosen will intersect and communicate with each other and they contribute to the story I am telling.

Mosaic is a complex process and one that needs to be processed in a dimensional way. I use this art because a drawing or a painting will not express as deeply as something made of hundreds or thousands of cut pieces called tesserae. Once the work is built, I try to put a statement out for viewers who want to understand what it means to me. But there are other times when no statement is forthcoming and viewers bring their own experiences, often very dissimilar to my thoughts. Hearing them explain my work to me is endlessly fascinating and edifying as well.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about your work?

Because I have been working in this medium for almost three decades, I am now looking at ways to change my definition of mosaic. After spending years working in classical methods, they became a cage as opposed to a sense of freedom. I felt that the established way of working was too static and I wanted to add motion. I wanted to redefine the base of the work, the adhesives, and the way they looked. There are a few works in this show that are an example of that. And I am thankful to have a place for viewers to look at this new way of making mosaic.

Finally, mosaic began as a craft, made by craftsmen. Yes, men. Today mosaics are made by far more women than men, which is a positive change.  Unfortunately, mosaics are still not taken seriously as fine art. I hope that my work and the work of others help to change that. My hope is that visitors who see this exhibit feel the quality of the work and the dedication that is required of this very slow form of making art. Mosaics are an ancient but ever-changing medium.

Read about other artists on the Meet the Artists page.