The Unremarkable Pizza Cutter

The Unremarkable Pizza Cutter Exhibit The first pizza cutter was invented more than 100 years ago in 1892 by a man named David S Morgan. However, this design was never intended to be used to cut pizzas but was actually formed as a way of cutting wallpaper! This wheel-like design had been used by David S Morgan in his wallpaper work and one day, he realized that this type of blade might also work well as a pizza cutter.

The Unremarkable Pencil

History of a pencil, as we know it, began in early 16th century when a large deposit of graphite was discovered in Cumbria, England. This deposit was very pure and solid. It could be sawn into sticks without too much problem, and people used it at first to mark sheep. Not know its true nature, people thought that graphite was a form of lead and called it “plumbago” (from Latin for "lead ore"). After it was discovered it was used for cannonball molds and because of that, graphite mines were owned and protected by Crown. First graphite sticks, earliest pencils, were square in shape and wrapped in string or sheepskin because graphite is brittle and not to leave marks on the user’s hand. England held a monopoly on graphite pencils until the second part of 19th century. Italian couple Simonio and Lyndiana Bernacotti invented first wooden pencil in 1560. It was oval in shape and similar to today’s carpentry pencil. A way of making pencils like we still do today (from two wooden parts glued together with a graphite center) is invented shortly after that. During the Napoleonic Wars France, unable to import graphite from England or Germany, was forced to invent something else. Nicholas Jacques Conté, an officer in Napoleon's army, mixed powdered graphite with clay and burned it in a kiln in 1795. He got a mixture that could be used as a core of pencils, shaped at will before burning and whose hardness can be changed by controlling the ingredients in mixture (if the mixture has more clay, pencil will be harder and its mark will be lighter). The same method is used today. Hymen Lipman came to an idea to attach an eraser to the end of a pencil in 1858. In America, Charles Dunbar stumbled upon a graphite deposit in New Hampshire and got into the pencil-making business with his brother-in-law, John Thoreau. John's thoughtful son David, unemployed after graduating from college, started helping out with the family business. He developed new refining techniques that made Thoreau pencils less brittle, less greasy — at the time, they were the finest pencils America had to offer. The Thoreaus were able to offer a variety of pencils, from No. 1 (the softest) to No. 4 (the hardest). That numbering system survives today. Today we have black pencils but also those that have pigmented wax-based cores in different colors. We also have solid graphite pencils that have no casings, grease pencils that can write on any surface, charcoal pencils, sepia pencils, white pencils and even watercolor pencils. Depending on their use we have carpenter's pencils that are oval and cannot roll from the desk, copying pencils that can be copied when moistened, and stenographer's pencils that are very hard to break.

Unremarkable Mosaic Tile

Mosaic art is the creation of patterns or pictures using small pieces of materials such as clay, marble, glass, tiles, or stones. The pieces are often glued or cemented to a surface such as a wall or a floor. Mosaic art can be very complex, with lots of different colors and shapes that create intricate patterns and pictures, or it can be simpler in nature. Mosaic art seems to have been a status symbol, since it took artists a long time to create a mosaic project. The oldest mosaic art has been traced back to a Mesopotamian temple that existed during the third millennium B.C. over 4,000 years ago. This art was made with stones, seashells, and ivory. Ancient Greek artists used small pebbles to make their mosaics. Greeks were also instrumental in developing mosaic art into complex patterns. Ancient Romans and Syrians also delved into mosaic art, using it to decorate vast floors. Roman mosaic art has been discovered that depicts Roman gods, intricate geometric designs, and domestic scenes. After the Roman Empire fell, artists started creating very detailed wall murals using mosaic art. It was also during this era that artists started using smalti tiles, which were made out of glass. These tiles were often backed with gold or silver leaf, which gave the tiles a beautiful depth and glow. Artists laid the smalti tiles at an angle so they would reflect light. Byzantine mosaics were not grouted, which also helped with light reflection. These mosaics are known for their sparkle effects. Islamic mosaics during this era were usually made of stone and used geometric designs. Islamic artists made their mosaics using a technique known as zillij, which involved creating tiles especially for an art project so that the tiles would fit together. The finished effect in this type of mosaic art was seamless. Mosaics continued to be a central form of art during the Middle Ages. In Rome, mosaic art was used to decorate mausoleums, churches, and other important buildings. Many designs showcased Christian scenes such as Jesus and his apostles. Some designs used symbolism, such as fish or water birds to represent baptism. During the high Middle Ages, Roman mosaic art expanded beyond earlier traditions with more realistic designs of figures. Artists were able to create realistic people and even some perspective in their mosaic art. Mosaic art fell out of favor during the Renaissance, but some artists did work on creating mosaics using old techniques. St. Peter's Basilica was decorated with mosaics as a means of following older traditions. Mosaics in St. Peter's Basilica were created by multiple artists, and they were used to reflect light in the dim interior of the church. Mosaics were also preferred because they lasted longer than canvas art. Today, modern mosaic art may be found virtually anywhere. Mosaics are used to decorate subways, restrooms, restaurants, and parks. Artists use a variety of materials to create mosaic art, including glass, beads, shells, stones, pebbles, tiles, mirrors, and even parts of old jewelry, photographs, and toys. Modern mosaic art might cover floors, ceilings, walls, benches, tables, flowerpots, and more.

Tim Burton featured the Unremarkable Tiny Art Gallery

October 2021

Unremarkable Paper

Unremarkable Paper About 2,000 years ago, inventors in China took communication to the next level, crafting cloth sheets to record their drawings and writings. And paper, as we know it today, was born! Paper was first made in Lei-Yang, China by Ts'ai Lun, a Chinese court official. In all likelihood, Ts'ai mixed mulberry bark, hemp and rags with water, mashed it into pulp, pressed out the liquid and hung the thin mat to dry in the sun. During the 8th century, about 300 years after Ts’ai’s discovery, the secret traveled to the region that is now the Middle East. Yet, it took another 500 years for papermaking to enter Europe. One of the first paper mills was built in Spain, and soon, paper was being made at mills all across Europe. England began making large supplies of paper in the late 15th century and supplied the colonies with paper for many years. In 1690, the first U.S. paper mill was built in Pennsylvania. At first, the American paper mills used the Chinese method of shredding old rags and clothes into individual fibers to make paper. But, as the demand for paper grew, the mills changed to using fiber from trees because wood was less expensive and more abundant than cloth.

Comment Card

The Unremarkable Pink Flamingo Lawn Ornament

First designed in 1957, the fake birds are natives not of Florida but of Leominster, Massachusetts, which bills itself as the Plastics Capital of the World. At a nearby art school, sculptor Don Featherstone was hired by the plastics company Union Products, where his second assignment was to sculpt a pink flamingo. Don was unable to acquire live flamingos to serve as his models, so his original sculptures were created based on an image from National Geographic. The inherent kitsch of the pink flamingo sculpture won it an instant place in pop culture as it began to decorate lawns across the country. As a result of his creation, imitators sprung up across American lawns, forcing Don to add his signature to each bird's body beneath the wing tips to the genuine article to distinguish it from off-brand flamingos. Featherstone lawn flamingos are sold in pairs, one with its head up and the other bent as if searching for food. The initial offering of lawn flamingos in the 1957 Sears catalogue included the following instructions: "Place in garden, lawn, to beautify landscape". They sold for $2.76 a pair. Unfortunately by the late 1960s, the lawn flamingo had been degraded to a tacky kitschy lawn ornament and were banished from lawns across America. It was a dark time for the iconic lawn flamingo. The original design continued to be produced in increasingly smaller numbers by Union Products until they closed in late 2006. Some few lawn flamingo habitats remained until the rights to the molds and copyright were purchased by Cado Products. Pairs of pink lawn flamingos once again began production in 2007, and have once again begun to migrate across American lawns.