Iowa State University

Boston artist Eric Sealine teamed up with Artaic to transform his oil painting into a 75 foot wide tile mural. The mosaic is made of over 200,000 1″ unglazed porcelain tiles and spans 1,395 square feet creating an impressive backdrop for the swimming pool facility at the State Gymnasium of Iowa State University.

Sealine, an Iowa State alum, describes his nostalgic inspiration for creating the formidable mural.

“I remember the day I learned to swim. I couldn’t have been more than four or five, and the swimming lessons were not going well. The instructor kept telling us to relax, that we could float, that the water would support us. I sank. I was a scared, skinny kid, blue with cold, and I resolutely sank. And then I took a big gulp of air, intentionally went under water and kicked off the wall. I pulled up for more air, went back down, and found that I didn’t have to swim, because I could fly underwater. I’ve loved the water ever since.”

Sealine sums up what the imagery is about in his statement,

Learning to Fly is about that oceanic delight we take at moments of great engagement with the world, moments when all our senses are running at 100% of their capacity.

Hopefully all those who look upon this mosaic will experience that “oceanic delight” through their engagement with this powerful work of art.”