Mosaics make for perfect celebrity art

A decorator turned his day job into art after creating a collection of celebrity portraits from thousands of pieces of tiles.
Mosaic artists Allan Butt and Rita Gav with portraits of Paul McCartney and Johnny Depp  that will feature in their exhibition, Icons of Stage, Screen and
Stadium, at Liverpools View Two Gallery in Mathew Street, Liverpool.  24 September 2013.  Picture Bruce RollinsonMosaic artists Allan Butt and Rita Gav with portraits of Paul McCartney and Johnny Depp  that will feature in their exhibition, Icons of Stage, Screen and
Stadium, at Liverpools View Two Gallery in Mathew Street, Liverpool.  24 September 2013.  Picture Bruce Rollinson
Mosaic artists Allan Butt and Rita Gav with portraits of Paul McCartney and Johnny Depp that will feature in their exhibition, Icons of Stage, Screen and Stadium, at Liverpools View Two Gallery in Mathew Street, Liverpool. 24 September 2013. Picture Bruce Rollinson

Dewsbury-born Allan Butt, 55, has worked more than 40 years doing-up kitchens and bathrooms and spent his spare time creating huge mosaics.

Now his collaboration with fellow art aficionado, Rita Gav, from Batley, Icon Mosaics, has secured its first public exhibition of their work in Liverpool next month.

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Allan uses up to 2,000 pieces of tile to create portraits of stars including Johnny Depp, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Jimi Hendrix and Wayne Rooney.

The mosaics take up to 80 hours to complete.

The exhibition, at View Two Gallery runs from Friday October 5 to Saturday November 2.

Allan, who now live in Birtsall, said: “I’m excited.

“There’s been lots of press interest and I’m trying to keep my feet on the ground.

“We are taking an old art form and bringing it into the 21st century.”