Located in front of the Laughing Clam Alehouse on G Street is a mosaic piece titled
Out of the Woods created in 2012 by Joseph Johnson as part of the 'History Underfoot' Public Art Sidewalk Mosaics project. Each of four mosaics located downtown shares these common characteristics: 31.5" in size; Each design contains an inner circle that touches the four sides of a brick border and includes brass compass points; Each mosaic features a caveperson hidden somewhere in the design. (Why a caveperson? See
here).
This particular mosaic focuses on the early days of Grants Pass, up through the end of the last century, when the logging and timber industry sustained the local economy, providing generations of livelihoods for local families and raw materials for local industries.
I was able to locate a news article from the Daily Courier That highlights the artist behind this piece and reads:
Johnson, who owns Natural Creations and does stone and rock work, created a mosaic that represents the region’s rich logging history. The mosaic featured a solid piece of black slate carefully cut into a logger carrying an axe over his shoulder. “One wrong move, and he could’ve ended up looking like Babe Ruth,” Johnson said. He used a variety of grinders and dremels to shape the tile pieces. Most of the tiles used in both mosaics were porcelain, as ceramic won’t last in the outdoor elements.
In April, an event was held at the Bear Hotel where the public was able to help break the tiles that were used in the mosaics. Johnson said he had a group of children who helped, and in the end, they created an abstract mosaic from the shards. “We mixed reds and blues,” Johnson said. “It was exciting to see the kids so excited about building mosaics.” Johnson drew his picture on his cement slab and labeled it with the colors he wanted to use. It resembled a “paint-by-number” activity before he permanently placed the tiles.
“If you love doing puzzles, you are natural for mosaics,” Johnson said. The tiles are placed using Thinset bonding mortar. Once the materials are placed, wipe off excess Thinset. (Johnson) then used grout to fill in gaps between the tiles. Johnson hopes to start a mosaic workshop this summer where inspired people can learn how to make mosaics.