This artist is struck by the massive number of people who will see her giant airport mosaic

"It's my first and only public art piece and the scale of it...I basically feel like I started at the apex of what public art can be."

Not only was this piece an unprecedented scale for Amy Ellingson, but it was her first piece using a new medium. Ellingson's work is usually made using a process starting in a digital file that she then brings into the world with paint. This airport installation still started digitally, but then turned into a ceramic mosaic.

To make this a reality, the San Francisco artist turned to Montreal's Mosaika as a partner.

Ellingson loved the long-lasting permanence and physicality of the medium. "There is an amazing tactility to ceramic mosaic. You've got all of these little edges. You've got everything sort of sitting in the mortar not quite flat exactly; things are slightly faceted. And so it creates almost a shimmering effect that's very physical. You perceive all these edges. Your eye catches these edges. People want to be physically involved in it."

Used to her work being seen in galleries and museums, Ellingson is struck by the sheer number of people who will see this work. "Seven million people a year come through this space. I feel that more people will see this piece than will see the entire output of my career."

Jet Age considers the evolution of airports from generic atriums into bonafide art galleries that surround and engage their visitors with stunning sculptures, architecture, and paintings. Watch all ten episodes of Jet Age now.