All Photos By Gail
It was only my second day in London, and we had already packed a full day with off-beat touristy activities like spending three hours in Sotheby’s drooling over a lifetime’s collection of Freddie Mercury’s earthly possessions. As luck would have it, our walk home brought us within the vicinity of one of London’s true Hidden Gems for fans of art and assorted weirdness. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present the Mosaic House.
A Derelict London Taxi Parked Outfront is an Artwork Unto Itself
The Mosaic House, hidden away on a quiet, suburban street in Chiswick, is the private home artist Carrie Reichardt – and even on a grey and drizzly day, it’s a remarkable sight. A testament to the power of art in transforming spaces, this epic piece of public art took over 20 years to complete.
This Pick-Up Truck Appears to Still Be In-Use
Every inch of this home’s exterior — as well as the complete surfaces of the two vehicles parked out front — is adorned with detailed and colorful mosaic artwork, making it a captivating destination and a one-of-a-kind experience. The home tells a thousand stories, each reflecting the various influences and artists who have helped to create the masterpiece since the project first began in the 1990s.
Without the restrictions that she once faced from galleries, Reichardt decided to use her home as a canvas, so she could do exactly what she pleased. The house is covered in bright colors and strong political messages and, standing proudly in the middle of an ordinary street in an affluent area – it certainly doesn’t blend in! You could spend hours looking at the house and you still wouldn’t spot every little detail hidden within the decorative mosaic tiles. It’s riddled with secrets and stories. The five bedroom house is an ‘uncensored’ public mural.
Among other things, you’ll find various tributes to American prisoners, which represent part of Reichardt’s long-running art campaign against the death penalty.
Perhaps the most significant memorial is that of Luis Ramirez, who was Reichardt’s pen pal while he was on death row in the early aughts. He somehow managed to send her his prisoner ID card and it is now contained in resin on the back of the house.
You can also spot a blue plaque on the front of the house which, at first glance, looks just like the English Heritage ones that you may have seen elsewhere – but, upon closer inspection, it is in fact fully mosaicked and reads “The Treatment Rooms. 2002 – Now. Lots of people lived here and partied hard.” A mention of The Treatment Rooms also appears across the rear window of the Taxi.
A Peak Inside the Backseat of the Taxi
Flying Eyeballs are a Reoccurring Motif
Fans of Alice in Wonderland will notice that in both the upper left and the lower right corners of the front of the house — though somewhat obscured by the cars — there are also references to a couple of the story’s favorite characters.
Who Are You?
But wait, there’s more! Apparently, the back of the house (which we did not see, as we stayed on the front path) is also completely covered in tile mosaic artwork. This includes a giant recreation of The Great Wave, by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, which Reichardt claims is a representation of climate change and rising sea levels.
Carrie Reichardt’s Mosaic House is located at 4-6 Fairlawn Grove, Chiswick, London W4 5EL.
