I Midas Well

A Reflection on Personal Greed

​My favorite color palette in mosaic is white, followed by the cool blues and greens of a coastal palette. And, out of metallics, I prefer silver over gold. But for whatever reason, I’ve been on a gold kick over the last year. My latest piece, I Midas Well, incorporates a lot of gold bling. It started as merely a reason to use up some of my gold mosaic stash. 

No real theme or message was to be intently conveyed. But as I thought about it, King Midas came to mind. So, I brushed up on my knowledge of the story, and the theme of greed began to evolve. In a nutshell, King Midas wished for everything he touched to turn to gold, and when it did, he realized his loved ones were also stiffened with gold, so he begged for his wish to be reversed.  The way for that to happen was to dip his hands in the River Pactolus. Moral of the story:  Be thankful for the blessings you already have in life, as they are, including relationships and possessions.
For this mosaic, I wanted to experiment with a less traditional shape and a little layering. My first sketch included a hand. Deciding a hand was too literal, I then sketched gold “finger like” appendages emanating from a base. I know, it's hard to believe the magnitude of my sketching abilities. You'd never know I am self-taught.

I like the fact that because the background is blue, these “fingers” may also be interpreted as coral, a dragon’s breath, or a jellyfish. (All of these were others’ comments while I worked on the piece). Normally, most of my mosaic work has a coastal slant, so I am happy for this serendipitous alignment with my vibe.
I started by cutting these “fingers” out of Wedi board,  

then adhered them to the background with yellow tinted thinset. Its garish hue bothered me the entire time I worked on the piece, so I finally mixed up a magic concoction to make it more golden and less yellow as I was nearing completion of the piece. This also resulted in the need for more cleanup with dental tools, ​​which is at the bottom of my list of things I like about mosaic.

The fingers (and mine) were blinged out with various gold glasses that I have collected over the years. I then outlined these fingers with pre-cut blue Van Gogh glass and filled in the background with larger hand cut stained glass pieces. The background of I Midas Well and its companion piece mentioned below also reference the Midas story by incorporating a few specks of gold embedded within the blue river.

I vacillated on the title, flip-flopping between You Midas Well, I Midas Well, or We Midas Well. I liked them all, but as I worked on the piece I reflected upon my own life. Mosaics are very time consuming, allowing ample time for one’s mind to wander and contemplate. Although I do recite daily prayers of gratitude, all too often I also catch myself saying the words “I wish…” or “I want…” It’s a terrible habit and mindset. Constantly bombarded by all things shinier, prettier, newer, or better than what I have, I do sometimes fall prey to the seduction. I am happy with what I have and feel fortunate and blessed, but dammit, I do catch myself dreaming for “…fill in the greedy blank”.  

​​I recognize the irony in this piece. It wouldn’t have been possible to create had I not been hoarding a stash of gold tesserae for decades. (Don’t think that gold is the the only color I have in excess, either). Also, although I do like the way this piece turned out, my intent is to sell it, hence, more guilty irony.
​
As I reflected, I wasn’t only thinking about material acquisition. I also value my time, as evidenced by my reluctance to give it up. My mother was a person who always said, “I’d be happy to do it.” And she sincerely was. I’d even go as far to say that being selfless was part of her identity. Although she did instill in me the value of doing the right thing and being helpful, I can’t say I’ve fully embraced, nor do I exemplify the concept like she did. I sometimes struggle with doing things because it’s the “right” thing to do versus gladly doing a selfless act because I actually "want" to do it—kind of negates the “selfless” part. Even if the result is the same, I know there is a difference and that bothers me about myself. 

The companion piece to I Midas Well, Glimmer, completes the diptych. They were made to fit and hang beside each other. It’s also a nod to the River Pactolus, using the same glass and shapes as I Midas Well, but with the addition of a few other shades of blue and specks of gold. I wanted Glimmer to contrast with the tempo of I Midas Well, by using fewer materials, less texture, a more neutral palette, and having a simplified andamento—or the way in which the mosaic flows.

That’s the backstory to this work. What started out as an excuse to use some pretty gold tesserae provoked me into a little self-examination. I recognize my own personal greed. “Gilty” as charged. I’m not proud of it, but I am working on it. I might as well.
Here is a short video of the I Midas Well coming together:
​Well, that didn't work. Hopefully you can click on this link to my Instagram page. www.instagram.com/p/C_gcAwTyoEf/  

And a poem to accompany the work:

​You Midas Well

Oh, King Midas
You can never have enough
Greed indeed divides us,
Look at all this stuff.
 
You are quite the character,
Though you do have none
Forever the disparager
Won’t deign to be outdone.
 
You’ve worked your magic
With those roses in your garden,
But your life is somewhat tragic
It’s her heart that you have hardened.
                                           Carolyn Wagner
​                        2024

And a poem for Glimmer

Glimmer
 
Your love trickles down like sediment
Settling on the bottom
Of my heart ever-hopeful,
Awaiting a ray of sunshine
To illuminate a speck of gold.
                                              Carolyn Wagner
                           ​2024

Thanks for stopping by,