SONS OF REST MOSAIC
Claire Cotterill was commissioned to produce the Sons of Rest Mosaic in honour of the WW1 Centenary. In response to the commission, she based the mosaic on the stained-glass window in the Sons of Rest building in Handsworth Park. The original window leant itself to representing the roots of the movement being in the First World War, leading to the formation of the Sons of Rest, represented in the treetop. Through archival research, Claire gathered relevant imagery from WW1 and the Sons of Rest Movement, weaving them throughout the tree. There are many images to explore when you look closely!
Claire is a Birmingham based, multi-media artist, with a specialism in mosaic. One of the things she loves about mosaic is its accessibility to all and the teamwork needed to produce at a large-scale, creating a permanent artwork truly representative of a community. Her fascination with people and places has led to an emphasis on ‘visual storytelling’ using archival research and new technologies alongside traditional handmade methods within her work.
Claire explored new processes through the commission, creating digital files for water jet cutting porcelain tiles, to fit the various shapes within the tree. She then had the many sections fired with archival photographs as part of the process. The rest of the mosaic was constructed using traditional methods.
During the launch of the piece Claire ran a workshop with year six pupils from St Mary’s C of E Primary School, which the pupils found fascinating.
To find out more about Claire’s commissions and work, please go to:
Q&A with Claire Cotterill
1) How long you have been working as an artist?
I’ve been working as a freelance artist since I finished my art degree in 1990.
2) Do you mainly work on your own or in collaboration with others?
Both, I work on my own and collaborate with other artists and artforms.
3) What are your main art forms, have you moved from earlier art forms and why (i.e., a little bit about your professional journey)?
When I left Art college, I went into community arts, working with lots of different people of all ages, sharing creative skills. Originally, I began with murals and carnival costumes, banners and events, moving on to mosaic installations. I loved mosaic because you can easily involve others in the design and production of new, permanent artworks – where people learn new creative skills and everyone in the community can appreciate the final results!
4) What attracted you to submitting a proposal for the Arts Trail?
I was invited to apply, and I always love a new challenge! The subject matter really interested me, I love to hear about unique heritage stories and be involved in sharing these stories with the general public, honouring this history too.
5) What inspired your design?
I thought the original stained-glass window was beautiful and a link to the past history of the movement – The roots I imagined being all about the experience of WW1 and the treetops representing the Sons of Rest Movement, which evolved from the common experiences of ex-servicemen and the connection that came from those who shared these experiences of war. I wanted to try and portray and celebrate their experience through the archival imagery I researched. The tree leant itself so well to portraying this!
6) How long did it take you to design and also make the art work?
In all, from design concept, research, production and installation, about 4 months, I think.
7) Were there any funny or challenging things that happened during the commission? How did you resolve any problems you came up against?
We had a problem with hanging the work where the footballers liked to kick their balls! I would normally work with the people who use the park and involve them in the making of the work, which gives a sense of ownership, but this was purely a solo commission – The artwork was moved to a different location in the park.
8) What art work have you been producing since the HPAT and where can people see it?
I have an exhibition on at the moment at Roundhouse, Birmingham, it’s been one of my lockdown projects! You can find out more about the project if you visit Roundhouse by the end of October. I created 3 large scale collages, all about the heritage of three unique places in Birmingham. I created a collage kit so people could still participate in the project, despite lockdown restrictions. I incorporated some of the collages and heritage imagery into the artworks – They all reflected audio tours designed by the communities involved.
I have info about the project and others on my website and social media channels. (You can access these through my website) I’ve recently taken part in Birmingham Open Studios, which was great. It’s always lovely to meet people who are interested in your work!
8) What’s your favourite piece of art work you’ve produced and why, and where can people see it?
I don’t really have a favourite as such, each are special to me in their own way!
9) Are you working on anything at the moment, can you tell us about it?
I’m a member of STEAMhouse maker space in Digbeth, so I’m experimenting a little with new software and production techniques, I’m about to create an e-commerce website to sell my art prints and digital tiles and have just completed a 3Ddesign introductory course. I’ve found out that I’ll be working on a piece for a new arts trail in Birmingham, which is exciting!
10)Do you have a website that illustrates your work?
Yes, it’s https://www.clairecotterill.com/
11)Can you tell us a few quirky things about you or your work?
Not really, but I imagine those close to me could!
12)Do you have a favourite artist or piece of art work?
There’s definitely too many to choose from, there’s so much great art out there! I do like following Grayson Perry and I enjoyed his Lockdown Art Club very much!
13)What inspired you to become an artist?
I loved to create things from a young age, and it was such a creative outlet for me, a kind of escape from the world!
14)What’s your favourite piece of public art in Birmingham that you would recommend people go and see and why?
In one of the artworks for the Roundhouse, I’ve included a few public artworks in Birmingham City Centre to see – I particularly like Temper’s ‘The Lovely People’ at the Cube – but there are many to see around Birmingham, which is great!
