Breaking away from traditional forms of mosaic, Orsdall-based artist, Paul Houghton depicts iconic Salford and Manchester- based pop culture moments in his work, from music to politics.
“I think pop culture is the perfect place for mosaics, it lends itself so well. You’ve got a great range of colours and with so many manufacturing styles for tiles, you can get pretty much any colour you want. Its a great medium, as far as I’m concerned.”
View this post on Instagram
Working out of the Lottery-funded Tatton Cafe Charity Project, located on Tatton Street, Manchester, Houghton uses traditional ‘run-of-the-mill’ tiles to create his work, buying from a range of suppliers and manufacturers.
Traditionally expressing his childhood love of art through mediums such as painting, it wasn’t until five years ago that Houghton discovered the beauty and fragility of mosaic work.
“I’ve always painted and I’d seen mosaic works and thought ‘that’s pretty similar to what I’m doing’. I started doing some more and slowly began to venture into portraiture.”
Inspired by the work of fellow Salford mosaic artist, Robert Lally, Houghton began to experiment with the colour and texture of tiles, before working on commission.
View this post on Instagram
Having previously showcased at ABC Gallery’s ’70 The Exhibition’, Houghton hopes to centre his work around the local community.
“I like being able to take a piece of Salford in my work. I want to try and do a big ‘Sons’ of Salford’ piece but couldn’t get the funding. That’s my dream, to put it in Salford Lads Club or the Town Hall. Not to sell, but for the community to look at.”
With the hope of secure funding to create a community piece, Houghton has created a small audience around Salford, earning over 2.3k followers on Instagram (@PaulHoughtonMosaics).
For more information on Paul Houghton’s work, visit his Instagram.
Recent Comments