Isiah Zagar has created mosaic paintings on abandoned buildings and other properties in Philadelphia since 1969. My home on South 2nd Street had a wall by him but the new owners took it down when I sold and moved to Mexico. There is now an indoor space next door, with mosaic throughout, where Ornella Ridone’s show was hung (previous post).
The Magic Garden on South Street began in 1991. It is an outdoor property with tunnels, arches and open gardens adorned with mosaic walls beyond imagination. Painted tiles, mirrors, bottles and bicycle wheels are some of the materials used. To quote from Isiah’s book: “My whole life as an artist is a journal; the way I’m feeling, the way I’m feeling every day, the way I’m thinking, the things I’m thinking about. They all enter into my work life, into my drawing life, so it’s constantly changing…”
