Commission an Original LIFETILES Mural
A Collaborative Process
Every commissioned LIFETILES mural is custom-designed specifically for its installation site. When considering an area for a LIFETILES mural, you should first identify a location where the mural will be viewed as an observer is moving alongside it (rather than toward it), a place where it will be viewed from a distance greater than four feet, and a place where the glass LIFETILES will not reflect a blinding glare from windows directly opposite them. For space planning, it is also a good idea to lay out a LIFETILES mural's shape and size on an architectural elevation. Each Lifetile is eight inches square, and a LIFETILES mural may be composed of any number of tiles. It is also important to anticipate what the average observer viewing distance from the LIFETILES mural will be, and if there is any predominant direction in which the observer will be moving by it. Once the points above have been discussed and a sound conceptual approach to the piece has been mutually developed, I can start designing the work.
Design
I research the subjects in question, culling related info and images from books, photos, video documents and even going out and filming the subjects myself. I email you JPEG sketches and GIF animated designs that simulate how the finished LIFETILES murals might look, move, and change for a casual observer. Regular feedback and a timely interchange between us enables me to refine the animated design until it is completed. I then submit the completed design in the form of a printed book of Final Drawings. Subject to your written approval, fabrication commences.
Fabrication
A sample LIFETILE fired with the agreed-upon color palette to be used is prepared and approved. In the studio, the images are painstakingly hand-aligned tile by tile and permanently etched into the glass. Each tile then travels through an exhaustive process of paintings, scrapings, inspections, and kiln firings until the animated image has been indelibly fused into the glass. Once completed, the loose LIFETILES are arranged on the studio display rack. At this point, you're invited to come to review the almost completed work in person. If it is inconvenient for you to visit the studio, I'll videotape the work showing it in motion and email you the clip so you can evaluate and approve the work.
Assembly and Installation
The LIFETILES are silicone-adhered onto customized modular panels of marine-grade plywood or stainless steel, depending on whether a mural is to be installed indoors or outdoors. The assembled panels are then crated and transported to the site, where my certified LIFETILES installer permanently attaches them to the wall. The joined panels create a seamless, full-sized, “living, breathing” LIFETILES mural.
Want to discuss a custom LIFETILES job?
Contact
Rufus directly at info@rufuslifetiles.com