Public toilets may not feature largely on the buildings that have inspired artists throughout the centuries. For Rotorua mosaic artist Janet Keen, however, a visit to the Hundertwasser public toilets in KawaKawa, New Zealand provided the catalyst that would create her mosaic garden.
Hundertwasser's Public Conveniences were the Inspiration for the Artist's Mosaic GardenInspired by Hundertwasser’s mosaics, Janet hurried back to her home in Rotorua and began creating her organic mosaic garden.Some gardeners might have been deterred by the site with its narrow stretch of neglected ground shaded by the slopes of Mount Ngongotaha. The precipitous drop at the rear with a steep bank bottoming out onto an untidy clearing metres below, presented even more of a challenge.
But Janet and her husband Graham Hardman, recognised its promise. Six years after purchasing the property their home nestles in a cottage garden enriched with organic waste and enlivened with Janet’s whimsical mosaic art. Mount Ngongotaha’s mantle shelters rather than shades and the untidy clearing has become a sanctuary filled with birdsong.
Stacks of Mosaic Tiles Remind the Visitor that this is a Working GardenDaisies burst through the front fence and sprawl out onto the verge. Clematis scrambles over the verandah, forming a starry backcloth for beds packed with annuals and perennials. A handcrafted doormat studded with pebbles welcomes the visitor, while cutting tools and stacks of mosaic tiles are a reminder that this is a working garden.
Surprises are everywhere – seahorses sail through oceans of nasturtiums, azure eyes gaze calmly from the face of a lady guardian sculpture, ibises crafted from beaten metal haunt a pebble garden warmed with marigolds. Mosaic torsos add a sexy touch to the timber fence where mirrors framed with ceramic shards create vibrant explosions of colour.
In the raised vegetable patch mosaic flowers flourish alongside lettuces, tomatoes and cucumbers. Sunshine bounces off glass, pottery and ceramics. Found objects are tucked into borders, hang from branches or are fixed onto trunks, trellises and walls.
Organic Garden and Household Waste Nourish the SoilNo artificial fertilisers or pesticides are used in the garden. Vegetables, herbs and flowers are crammed companionably together in soil made fertile by farmed worms and compost made from recycled organic household waste. Heavy underplantings of perennials deter weeds and provide splashes of colour and greenery in all its hues throughout the seasons.
After a Stroll Through the Garden, Students Enjoy Mosaic and Other Art Lessons
In her studio at the rear of the cottage Janet holds mosaic and other art classes for students from six to 75 years old. Janet says that children especially love the visual and sensory experience of her mosaic garden. Meandering along the pathways to the studio helps them to unearth their own creativity as they gather up their tools and think about the colours and patterns to use for their mosaics or paintings.
Janet’s passion and sensitivity for her garden are reflected not only in the abundance of growth that manifests a well nourished soil, but also by the quiet spaces pleated away for contemplation. Her gardening regime has no definite structure but she researches constantly, pouring over gardening books and magazines and she loves to view the gardens of other enthusiasts. Wandering through civic gardens and art galleries in any place she visits is a priority.
Janet Keen's Garden is a Living Work of Art
Janet directly credits Friedensreich Hundertwasser's mosaiced toilets as the inspiration for her living work of art - a visual experience that she delights in not only for her own sake, but also because of the joy and inspiration it gives to others. Janet Keen's mosaic garden can be found at 374 Clayton Road, Rotorua, New Zealand.
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