Title: Flying Mountain
Location: Pasadena, CA, USA
Dimensions: 12ft x 4.5ft
Date of Origin: 2017

The Flying Mountain is a reoccurring symbol in Shrine's work and is officially the mascot of The Empire of Love, a collaborative and community-based project that is ongoing. This iteration includes an intricate ceramic and glass mosaic accented with rows of recycled aluminum can bottoms, various rocks and pebbles, and hand-painted scallop shapes in metallic gold.

Shrine's Empire of Love teams up with Gamelatron and artist Joel Dean Stockdill for this immersive installation at BOOM Festival in Portugal in 2012. A multi-level painted structure built from salvaged wood, painted methodically with repeating motif, and then embellished with hand-crushed recycled aluminum cans strung with wire, contains a sound scape system of hand-made gongs and original compositions by Aaron Tyler Kuffner, aka Gamelatron.

This residential facade received an intricate mosaic treatment which revamped and revitalized the original design. The materials include items that reference the personal history of the property owner along with mosaics from the artists personal and extensive object library sourced from all over the world.

Windows and doorways receive symmetrical application of stones, broken ceramics, and miscellaneous objects in all shapes and colors. The adorned alcove serves as a meditation and gathering space for one and all.
 

Shrine was invited to Ecuador and created this Empire of Love shack with residents in the Quito community. Made from local discarded items and paintings made by Shrine on-site, this structure was placed at the official building of Agriculture and Fishing Department.

Many locals enjoyed the art and learned about the artist's practice of reusing, recycling, upcycling, and creating art with materials that are discarded and considered to be trash waste.