ARTSOURCE
APPROACH:
 This
was an unusual project: mausoleums are not systems
familiar to Australians, although they have a
long and proud history in parts of Europe. Reuben
Kooperman, Project Manager for the Metropolitan
Cemeteries Board was determined to commission
a mosaic work in the best traditions of European
mosaic and reminiscent of the wonderful Napier
Waller works at Winthrop Hall, UWA. Reuben approached
artsource to assist with the preparation of the
artwork brief, advertising, short-listing and
selection part of the process.
Artsource worked with Reuben to
consider a number of artists, not only mosaic
artists, but those whose work practice was sympathetic
to translation into mosaic and who had an interest
in religious imagery. The selected artist, Jillian
Green works almost exclusively with finely drawn
and carefully realised religious imagery and was
the perfect choice for the project.
Jillian created a painting based
on an initial pencil drawing and developed a subdued
colour palette with the intention of creating
an authentic and timeless work. The mosaic was
then manufactured in Italy by traditional craftsmen
using Murano smalti glass tiles . the completed
work is 2900 x 2900 mm and is fitted to the outside
of the new Mausoleum opened in October 2005. The
experience for Jillian of working on her first
public art project was made easier because of
a decision, early on, to team up with Frank Dalle
Nogare whose considerable experience with Italian
mosaic tiles and whose connections enabled the
project to develop smoothly. The work was completed
on time and on budget.
The new Mausoleum by Design Inc,
within Fremantle Cemetery (Carrington St) also
took out the State’s top award for architecture
in 2006 – the George Temple Award, presented
to the years’ most outstanding building
overall. RAIA WA Chapter President Ian Dewar said
the building was “a result of the architects’
creating beauty through the skilled use of scale,
proportion and crisp precise detailing”,
with “a serene balance of colour and value
achieved with the use of high quality materials
which are appropriate for a building for this
function”.
Smalti: A type of hard-fired,
handmade Italian glass with a vast range of colours
and amazing light-reflecting qualities. Considered
the classic mosaic material. It is also sometimes
called 'Venetian Enameled Glass' or 'Byzantine
Glass'. The original material of the Byzantines,
it is still manufactured in small factories in
Italy. The size of each tesserae varies and the
surface is uneven.
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