Mosaic mural at Tangmere House

Mosaic mural by Gülsün Erbil, 1986-1987.

MATERIALS: glass tesserae.

DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM: the mural covers an estimated area of 100m²; it is approximately 5m wide, including side returns, and over six storeys high. It covers the concrete refuse chute which served Tangmere House.

The mural is named Equality–Harmony and its overarching theme is one of ‘reconciliation between the races’. The unifying device of the composition is a musical stave which runs from a treble clef at the top, merging into a piano keyboard at the bottom of the work. The musical notes on the stave represent the first line of the carol ‘Joy to the World’ and this has sometimes been taken as an alternative title. A spiral, a key motif of mysticism in Erbil’s work, is incorporated into the treble clef. A rainbow (in Turkey a symbol of change, but in other cultures a symbol of peace, unity, fortune or LGBTQ+ pride) is interwoven with the stave, terminating in a white prism on the right-hand return.

Towards the top of the composition are a series of images which place the artwork in its geographical location. Twin hemispheres depict the western and eastern worlds (and with Turkey picked out in red). Underneath, Great Britain is outlined in green on a swirling blue background. London is next to be depicted, bisected by the distinctive blue line of the Thames and with the location of Broadwater Farm indicated by a circle. Beneath that are the buildings of the estate, including Tangmere House (with the mural shown in miniature), the distinctive curved boiler house and the red triangular structure and swings of the children’s play centre. Views of the estate continue on the right-hand side.

The lower half of the panel depicts the residents’ recreations and amenities, including (from top to bottom) snooker (a popular pastime at the Youth Centre), chess, books at the library, a personal computer, the estate’s Shell Theatre, breakdancers and spectators, kettle drums and a track runner, symbolising the nearby New River Sports Centre. Other imagery includes a black figure holding up a dove of peace, the moon piercing the sun and further mystical spirals. At the base of the mural is a black and a white hand playing the black and white keys of a piano, representing racial equality and harmony. Erbil notes that the hands are a symbol of the working class. The chute outlet at the bottom is in the position of the piano player’s head.

The lower part of the mural is enclosed in a later, roofed, corridor (not part of the listed building). A narrow strip of the mural is now hidden by the depth of the roof as it meets the face of the building.