A space between + Florist

Arcitile occupies the space between; between idea and reality, client and labour, instruction and completion. 

Our work, the care we take and the standards we uphold, is only visible in the outcome, the finished job. The work itself is not glamorous. It’s hard graft; caustic grout, heavy tile, awkward positions, long hours. 

And yet the results are significant to the success of a project, and to how seriously the work of others is ultimately taken.

We care about craft and want to tell you this without being boring. So, we’re making a series of films about the ways of seeing that we share with people we admire. The films reveal the space between, the overlap of care, knowledge, attention that we strive for and that we recognise in others.

That shared attention to care, knowledge and making is what drew us to Florist, a street artist whose medium is mosaic. Each piece is planned and executed with precision to a tight deadline (before the coppers show up). The results are unexpected moments of colour and delight in our urban greyscape. His work transforms the ephemera of graffiti into something more permanent, asserting the worth of vernacular art and insisting upon optimism and beauty for the people.

The structure of the film places Florist in the space between; between art and construction, the order of the plan and chaos of the encounter. Dan speaks first about why Florist’s work matters to him, then Florist describes his own practice, his relationship to materials and his motivation. Dan closes the conversation, drawing the threads together without striving for resolution.

The films can be seen as an attempt to express a sensibility and the idea that beauty is not a luxury, and that craft is a form of care.

The series will continue to investigate the space between through conversations with artists, makers and thinkers whose work and motivations sit adjacent to Arcitile’s own.