MARINA LOMMERSE & MICHAEL PHILLIPS, THE BONES OF COLLIE, 2020
Location: 143 & 127 Throssell St
Local stories and archival research: Tom Reardon, Tania Roberts, Nola Green Mural Studio Artist team: Clifford Scanlan, James Russell, Jack Holmes, Camilo Idarraga, Joy Marshall, Danielle Marinho, Rose Phillips
Collie community collaborators: Alison Melvin, Stephen Melvin, Ellen Corbin, Rachael Williams, Thamarat Phokai, Ash Briggs, Tania Roberts
“A sixth-generation Collie resident described Collie’s industrial history as, ‘the bones of this town’. The Collie township originated as a mining town with its post-colonial heritage steeped in coal mining, forestry, and railways.
The industry and natural resources are interrelated. Timber was required to house the settlers, build the railways, feed the steam engines, and structure the underground coal tunnels. The rail was essential to bring in settlers and supplies, to carry coal out of the mines and get the coal to market. The whole township of Collie is riddled by underground tunnels. Tunnels under the river, the highway, the cemetery, and the houses and commercial buildings.
Over the 65-meter long gradient of this mural, colours reflect Collie’s lakes, river, sky, forest, wildflowers and bushland. Overlaid are ‘short stories’ (the mural is only 50 cm high) of legs, tools, implements, underground coal tunnel maps, wildflowers and corellas hint at the early life and times in the timber, rail & coal industries.
The images have been abstracted from archival photographs and drawings that can be viewed in the Coalfields Museum and Historical Research Centre. It includes species endemic to the region — the Western Corella and wildflowers.” Marina Lommerse and Michael Phillips
The mural was researched, conceived, developed and then painted through a collaborative process facilitated by Michael and Marina. Michael and Marina kickstarted Mural Studio in 2020 to collaboratively undertake a mural painting process while also offering educational and social opportunities.
The Mural Studio team was made up of local Collie residents, architecture and interior architecture students and graduates, and our friends and family.
About the artists:
Marina Lommerse is a visual artist. She has exhibited, created public artworks, and lead community-based art projects in Australia and overseas. Her work has been funded by national and state arts and culture organisations, and city councils. Formerly a professor at Curtin University she was a Finalist, Australian Awards for University Teaching.
Michael Phillips is a mural artist, designer and educator. In 2014 Michael cofounded Ateliervivo – a program in Brazil that offers educational experiences through participants designing and building projects for local communities. One workshop, MuralStudio explores how murals can be collaboratively and efficiently created to improve public spaces. Michael also teaches architecture at Curtin University.
Images: Taj Kempe
THE COLLIE MURAL TRAIL
