Capriccio 2014

University of Illinois Urbana Champagne, Wassaja Hall

Dimensions: 22’ x1 3’

Materials: Byzantine glass mosaic, gold leaf, mother-of-pearl

Budget: $120,000

Fabricator: Mosaika Art and Design

Situated at the junction of the Ballet West/Capital Theater's ornate old building and minimal Modern addition, Capriccio captures the lightness of ballet and the illusion of theater in a concrete form that is a bridge between tradition and innovation, fantasy and reality, ethereality and permanence. The title, Capriccio, comes from a term meaning a lively piece of music, typically one that is short and free in form; a painting or other work of art representing a fantasy or a mixture of real and imaginary features. The mix of gold-leaf and pearlescent mosaics were chosen as much for their opulence as they were for their magical interplay with light.