Mosaic 2. The Battle Aftermath

Artist Synopsis

The graveyard in this image, is historically significant as it is the only Commonwealth military graveyard to be built since the Second World War. This was a direct result of the discovery, of so many missing soldiers.

The DNA strand represents the only large-scale DNA testing, committed by the Commonwealth. Thousands of female Australians have given samples of their DNA so that, to date, 250 missing Australian soldiers have been identified.

The boxes of colour next to the graves are Colour Patches. During the First World War each brigade and battalion wore a different colour patch for identification. Incorporating the colour patches into the design, ensures that every single man involved in the Battle of Fromelles is included. This, of course, without listing each individual name.

The 'spirit soldiers' hopefully speak for themselves. The soldier in the sky looking down upon the graveyard is a portrait of 'Pompey Elliot,' who was without doubt, one of the most loved officers in the AIF.

Some see another generic soldier. Others recognise the portrait as Pompey Elliot overlooking his men.

Please note that the choice of natural stone for the tesserae of the mosaics can be limited in availability of hues, therefore the colours of the final artworks may vary to the designs. The designs may also need to be 'tweaked' here and there for better results, but will essentially remain the same.