A while ago I was scrolling through Instagram and came across this mosaic floor that stopped me in my tracks - it was a modern floor made of mosaic tiles and covered in wonderful trompe l’oeil food debris. A quick bit of research lead to hours and hours online learning more about this style which actually dates back to the Romans (naturally).
The original concept of ‘Asarotos Oikos’ (Unswept Floor) can be attributed to Sosos of Pergamon - Pliny the Younger writes about him being a master of illusion. Sadly none of his work is thought to have survived but his technique lives on; the most famous, surviving, and frequently cited version is a 2nd-century AD Roman copy attributed to the artist Heraclitus (or Eraclito), currently located in the Vatican Museums. The mosaics depicted items (mostly food) that were luxury items - in particular shellfish, cherries, figs, walnuts and they were arranged to appear accidental - like they’d been discarded without another thought after a feast.
I have always been drawn to the notion of Trompe L’oeil in art and fashion - a trick of the eye, a quirky nod, a glimmer of humour perfectly and quietly executed. Art that creates a hyperrealistic 3D optical illusion on a two dimensional surface always grabs my attention and gets me excited. More specifically with this Unswept Floor style is the notion of capturing a fleeting moment in time ( a Roman feast) and making it somewhat permanent. The cast off food scraps that would have been swept away by staff after the meal are now immortalised in incredible detail - made up of tiny pieces of ‘tesserae’ or tiles. There’s humour to be found here - one man’s trash is another’s treasure and all that…. but more specifically the idea of finding beauty in the bones and head of a fish or the skin of fruit that has now been elevated in importance and given a permanent place on a masterpiece of engineering (and ostentatious wealth). Maybe not-so-quiet-luxury?
Many artists have revisited this idea - a quick google will show you endless interior interpretations (Unswept Rug, Unswept Porch, Unswept Steps, Unswept wall all garnered my attention!) and it immediately got me thinking what would my version be? As CEO of our household I am constantly picking up the detritus of family life - and that seems to centre around an ottoman that we recently acquired (second hand). Whilst the piece is very useful, well made, solidly built to withstand family life, it is not my favourite aesthetically speaking. It’s grey and expansive. Someone restrained and clever with a minimalistic vibe would be horrified to listen to the thought process that’s whirring in my brain right now….. can I make an ‘Unswept Ottoman’? what would that look like for us?
A remote control, a discarded craft project with hundreds of spilled beads, some half eaten post-school-snacks, an empty wine glass, a cat stretched out and some unsigned school forms that are ‘only’ a week late and lucky to have survived two weeks in my youngest girls backpack. Oh and socks, always socks……. I’ve been mulling ideas over in my head for the ULTIMATE stitching commitment - a needlepoint that would cover the entire ottoman, depicting our messy, loud, unruly family life from the perspective of a slightly withered and tired mother with a penchant for late night wine and an insatiable appetite for overreaching art projects.
Here are two mock ups that I am working on (note: I have a really hard time showing my work until it feels complete - I'm working on it, (what if I'm not done? what if no one likes it? what if I change my mind? but for the purpose of this article I think it is interesting to see the design process play out).
I like the connection between ancient mosaic and modern needlepoint tapestry - both techniques feature art built from tiny building blocks (tile versus stitches). There’s no doubt about it this would be HUGE undertaking - but its fun to take a stab at something large every now and again - and there’s room to combine with upholstery fabrics if the sides prove a stitch (or 1000s of stitches…) too much.
I hope to revisit this piece as I make progress in The Ornamental Studio. Please feel welcome to leave a comment below - what would be on your Unswept floor?
Barrick Bensons @barriebenson modern take on an Unswept Floor
Unswept Floor, The Vatican Museum, dates back to Hadrian, from the Avenrtine Hill in Rome
Unswept Step by Jane Franks in the UK, found on a delightful blog post by Helen Miles Mosaics
The Ornamental Studio design for an Unswept Ottoman, inspired by the Roman ‘Unswept floor’ Mosaic
Unswept Ottoman - depicting Trompe L’oeil scenes from our family life
If you’d like to experiment with your own piece of this project you can find DIY Bargello pillow kits on my website