Linoleum Asphalt Mosaics – CRAFT Video Podcast

Craft & Design

Linoleum asphalt mosaics, also called Toynbee Tiles, are artworks permanently embedded in pavement. In this video I’ll show you how to construct your own from inexpensive materials. You can get real linoleum (don’t use vinyl flooring) for this project by ordering free samples online. By cutting out a mosaic design in the linoleum and sandwiching it between layers of paper, wood glue, and asphalt crack filler, you can affix the mosaic very permanently to an asphalt surface, such as your driveway. You may choose to use a heat gun to make the linoleum easier to cut, or even a laser cutter. The earliest examples of these tiles were found in the 70s and 80s on streets in Philadelphia, all bearing the same (or very similar) message: “Toynbee idea / in Kubrick’s 2001 / resurrect dead / on planet Jupiter.” They are speculated to have been created by the same person until they began to gain a following. There’s an active message board on the topic which shares sightings and other information. If you make one, please share your pictures in the CRAFT Flickr pool!

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, or download the mov, mp4, or iPhone/Android video.

Thanks to my pal Matt Mechtley for his help on this one. In this video I used this cc-licensed photo by Flickr user mojunk. The music is “Regurgitation Pumping Station” from the World of Goo soundtrack by Kyle Gabler; used with permission.


6 thoughts on “Linoleum Asphalt Mosaics – CRAFT Video Podcast

  1. Dave Bell says:

    Nice urban art project!

    One thing that I felt got glossed over in the video:
    You bond the face of the tile to a sheet of tar paper, then leave it in place, after the back is stuck down to the pavement. Then, “In a few weeeks, ti will be revealed.”

    Is that delay part of the intent, as the paper on the face wears away? Or is there some other way to temporarily anchor it all together during assembly, so it can be “displayed” immediately?

  2. Linoleum Asphalt Mosaics – CRAFT Video Podcast bekathwia says:

    @Dave good point. If it’s in your driveway and you drive over it repeatedly every day, it should wear off due to friction, but a little water wouldn’t hurt. Since you’re supposed to use water-soluble glue between the top layer and the linoleum, a hose and a scrubby broom should do the trick! I’m sure you could just stick the individual pieces of linoleum to the asphalt if you had the space to let it be until the crack filler dries; the top layer is just for protection until it sets!

  3. Pekar says:

    Asphalt shingle scraps can glue down to an asphalt surface and last a surprisingly long time. This might work well for less intricate designs.

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

Becky Stern is a Content Creator at Autodesk/Instructables, and part time faculty at New York’s School of Visual Arts Products of Design grad program. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions, and she's created hundreds of free online DIY tutorials and videos, mostly about technology and its intersection with crafts. Find her @bekathwia on YouTube/Twitter/Instagram.

View more articles by Becky Stern

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK