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Art Exhibition by Jane Bennett, of the industrial heritage of Sydney’s Working Harbour including Paintings and Drawings of the construction of the Anzac Bridge & other sites in Pyrmont,Cockatoo Island & White Bay.
Citation preview
Jane BennettArt exhibition
“Closing the Gap”Frances Keevil Galleries18th May-1st June 2010
Bay Village 28-34 Cross St Double Bay NSW 2028 Tel: 61 + 2 9327 2475 [email protected]://www.franceskeevilart.com.au/Jane_Bennett.htm
About the Artist...
Diploma of Arts 1982
Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Art Studies at
C.O.F.A., University of N.S.W. 1983
28 solo exhibitions & included in many group exhibitions.
Won over 120 art prizes, & many major commissions for
government & corporate clients.
A major retrospective of Jane’s work was the signature event
of the 2006 Industrial Heritage Festival of the National Trust of
Australia.
http://www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au/events/janebennett
A canvas painted from the top of the A.N.Z.A.C. Bridge is now
in the "ONE Hundred" exhibition of 100 iconic objects to
celebrate the centenary of the Mitchell Library, State Library
of N.S.W
http://www.onehundred.sl.nsw.gov.au/100-objects/Exhibit-095.aspx
Major Awards & Prizes
• Received the Marten Bequest Travelling Art Scholarship for Painting in 1996 &
awarded the 1996 Dyason Bequest by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of N.S.W.
• In 1997 awarded 3 months residency at the Moya Dyring Studio of the Cité
Internationale des Arts in Paris by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of N.S.W. , & a
further residency at the Studio of the American Academy in Rome.
• Finalist in the 1986,1997 & 2008 Sulman Prize for Genre/History Painting 5 times
a finalist in the Dobell Prize for Drawing; 6 times a finalist in the Wynne Prize for
Landscape, winning the 1990, 1995 & 1996 Pring Prize for Watercolour & the 1995
Trustees’ Prize for Watercolour in the Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of N.S.W.
• In 2004 received the inaugural Sydney Harbour Week Award for artistic
achievement.
Publications
• AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS’ INDEX 1986 Jan McDonald • ARTISTS & GALLERIES OF AUSTRALIA 1990 Max Germaine
• DICTIONARY OF AUSTRALIAN WOMEN ARTISTS 1991 Max Germaine
• MANLY ART GALLERY & MUSEUM NEWS FEB 1994 Metropolis Now
Michael Pursche • THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AUSTRALIAN ART 1994 Compiled by Alan McCulloch;
1994 Edition revised & updated by Susan McCulloch • A VISION REALISED 1998 Mr D. Max Taylor
• SUNCE JUŽNOG NEBA 2003 Zoja Bojić
• HARBOURLIFE 2007 Sydney Harbour from the 1940’s Gavin Wilson
Articles & Reviews
• AUSTRALIAN ARTIST MAGAZINE FEB 1991
• THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 11/5/91 Sydney – City to the Fringes Elwyn Lynn
• THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 11/5/91 The Return to old Forms Bronwyn Watson
• THE EASTERN HERALD 18/6/92 Passionate about Pyrmont Pamela Payne
• THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 20/6/92 Graphic proofs of print power Elwyn Lynn
• THE CANBERRA TIMES 20/7/92 Exhibition Commentary Sonya Barron
• HOME BEAUTIFUL OCT 1992 Beginners’ guide to art collecting David Tribe
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 22/9/93 Woman with a mission Tanya Price
• THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 20/8/93 Fine art drawn from a limited range Bruce James
• THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 10/12/93 Metropolis Now Felicity Fenner
• MANLY ART GALLERY & MUSEUM NEWS FEB 1994 Metropolis Now Michael Pursche
• THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 9/4/94 Eyes on the Prizes Elwyn Lynn
• GLEBE & INNER CITY NEWS 17/8/94 Artistic Biography Scott Tucker
• THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 3/9/94 Parables’ divine Inspiration Elwyn Lynn
• THE TELEGRAPH MIRROR 3/9/94 In Pursuit of Pyrmont Stewart Hawkins
• THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 9/9/94 Paying Homage to Holden Felicity Fenner
Articles & Reviews continued …
• ART & AUSTRALIA, Vol 32 No3 1995 Exhibition Commentary
• THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 9/3/96 Archibald & the sex Goddess John McDonald
• THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 9/3/96 Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Peter Cochrane
• THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 16/3/96 Flawed Genius, good signs Giles Auty
• MODERN PAINTERS Summer Edition 1996 Gallery Karen Wright
• THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN OCT1996 High on Culture Giles Auty
• THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 29/3/97 Critical Madhouse Giles Auty
• GRADUATE REVIEW Winter/Spring 1997 Reaching the dizzy heights Jane Mundy
• THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 31/12/98 The Blake Prize Sebastian Smee
• THE AUSTRALIAN REVIEW 2/1/99 God & Glamour Giles Auty
• THE AUSTRALIAN REVIEW 27/3/99 Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Prize Giles Auty
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 19/11/99 Walsh Bay a Winner for Jane ! Mary Powis
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 6/11/99 Capturing our heritage: Artist races developers Mary Powis
• NORTHERN DISTRICT TIMES 27/5/00 Past passions drive artist Jonathon Granger
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 2/6/00 Our great Times Art Prize Mary Powis
• CANBERRA TIMES 25/7/01 A remarkably high standard Sasha Grishin
• CANBERRA TIMES 26/7/01 Rocks, paper, flesh Jennifer Kingma
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 11/10/02 Artist wins top prize Mary Powis
Articles & Reviews continued …
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 21/03/03 Pymble artist beguiled by Harbour moods Mary Powis
• DISTRICT NEWS 26/08/03 Cityscapes to nudes Tara Commerford
• MOSMAN DAILY 26/03/03 Ablaze with inspiration Breda Wall
• THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 13/08/03 Beauty haunts the city’s ruins Elizabeth Fortescue
• DISTRICT NEWS 9/09/04 Casting light on local history Bianca Lipari
• THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 28/09/04 Brush with the city’s saw point Elizabeth Fortescue
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 15/10/04 All that remains are paintings Mary Powis
• SYDNEY MORNING HERALD DOMAIN 03/03/05 Vanishing act Jackie Chowns
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 23/03/05 Timeless tanker a win for Jane Mary Powis
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 25/03/05 Art on the move Mary Powis
• NORTH SHORE TIMES 15/11/05 Maritime memories Mary Powis
• THE OBSERVER May 2006 The end of Sydney as we know it Harriet Gollan
• SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 25/06/07 The end of an era caught on canvas Steve Meacham
• THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 29/06/07 Memory lanes Elizabeth Fortescue
• INNER WEST COURIER 03/07/07 Painted history of a city’s hidden gems Menios Constantinou
• AUSTRALIAN SEA HERITAGE 91/2007 Recording each passing Alan Edenborough
• SL : STATE LIBRARY MAGAZINE Autumn 2010 Q & A Cathy Perkins
http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/
Collections
Jane’s work is represented in the collections of :
• the Mitchell Library, State Library of N.S.W.
• Artbank
• the Kedumba Contemporary Drawing Gallery
• many Regional Gallery & Municipal Council Collections
• Department of Defence
• University of N.S.W.
• University of Sydney
• many corporate & private collections throughout Australia, the U.S.A., the U.K.,
Hong Kong & Japan.
Painting Sydney's Industrial Heritage
I began to paint & draw Sydney 's industrial & maritime heritage in the early
1980's.
Almost everything that I have painted has either been demolished or changed
beyond all recognition.
The pubs have been gentrified, the woolstores have been converted into
apartments, the handsome Federation warehouses of the Royal Edward Victualling
Yard have become a media village & the few remaining Victorian terraces have
been surrounded & obscured by multistorey apartment blocks.
www.powerhousemuseum.com
Unlike many artists I usually work on site to capture the elusive spirit of place.
I set up my easel by the side of the road, on windswept rooftops & on demolition
sites. Unpredictable weather, constantly changing light, distractions from workman
& passers-by – are more than compensated for by the depth of knowledge I have
gained about the hidden gems of Sydney.
I see Sydney in all its moods, from the pearly calm of early morning, the brilliant
cobalt sea and sky of a warm summer’s day, to dramatic storms & the jewel-like
city skyline at night.
The Anzac Bridge series
The ultimate bird’s eye view of Sydney – the top of the western pylon of the still
unfinished New Glebe Island Bridge gave me majestic panoramas of Harbour,
Bridge & City to the east & stark industrial landscapes to the north-west. It was then
nameless – Bob Carr named it the ANZAC Bridge only after it had been opened for
over a year.
I painted over 20 works in the ANZAC Bridge series, several of which have won
major awards & been acquired by various prestigious
collections. A large ink drawing won the 1996 Hunter’s Hill Open Art Award, was a
finalist in the 1997 Sulman Art Prize at the Art Gallery of N.S.W., & was then
acquired by the University of N.S.W. for the Faculty of Engineering.
The Mitchell Library, State Library of N.S.W, has acquired a painting in this series,
"Closing the Gap" which is now on display in the "ONE Hundred" exhibition of 100
iconic objects to celebrate the centenary of the Mitchell Library.
"Closing the Gap" 1995oil on canvas 91 x 122cm
More about the Anzac Bridge series...
I was invited up here as a consequence of being the resident artist of the Pyrmont
Power Station, when Sydney Electricity were having discussions with the RTA &
Baulderstone Hornibrook about lighting the Bridge.
In case you are wondering how I got up there, you can see a tiny green lift crawling
up the leg of the eastern pylon, & of course there was a replica on the western side.
The lifts seemed to be made mostly of chickenwire & it felt like every time they
managed to groan upwards a couple of metres, they would suddenly lurch
downwards at least half as much again.
After construction finished, access to the top was a lot more strenuous, although
not as gut-wrenching. The legs of the ANZAC Bridge are hollow! To get to the top
still needs a touch of courage as well as the ability to climb a steel rung ladder- the
last 30 metres are completely vertical.
"Closing the Gap" 1994pastel on paper 68 x 100 cm
"Night from the top of the ANZAC Bridge" 1996 oil on canvas 91x122cm
"Night from the top of the ANZAC Bridge" 1996
oil on canvas 91x122cm
Here, the entire Pyrmont Peninsula is spread out beneath my feet! I could see the
rooftops of many of my former studios: the CSR Refinery & Distillery; the Pyrmont
Power station; Ways Terrace; Pyrmont Point Park; the Federation warehouses of
the Royal Edward Victualling Yard; Pier 19/20/21.
Watching the reflections of the jewel-like lights on the water, I was inspired to paint
a series of nocturnes. The city glitters against an inky night sky in Sydney’s most
breathtaking panorama.
This painting was exhibited in ‘Vast - the National Australian Art Exhibition from far
& wide’, the keystone exhibition for the visual arts program of the 2000 Olympic
Arts Festival. I was one of only 24 of Australia’s finest contemporary artists – 3 from
each state & territory- chosen to participate.
"Looking West from the top of the Anzac Bridge" 1994ink, gouache on paper 141 x 134 cm
WINNER : People's choice 1996 Grafton Jacaranda Drawing Prize
“ Ways Terrace from the top of Pyrmont Power Station” 1991 mixed media on paper 122x101cm
WINNER : 1992 Hunter's Hill Art Prize
" Ways Terrace from the top of Pyrmont Power Station" 1991
mixed media 122x101cm
The rhythmic sweeping lines curving under the bridge from the right are remnants
of the old Pyrmont goods line. This had been built in 1916 & once continued from
Darling Harbour in a loop around Pyrmont, back into Ultimo across Wentworth Park
& beyond.
At vast expense, the perfectly serviceable goods line was later torn up & replaced
by the dubious benefit of light rail. The buildings near it originally included the old
signal box of the Pyrmont Goods Yard. It had been frequently used to add street
credibility to commercials & dramas & immortalized as the “Spanish café” in
“Strictly Ballroom”. One person’s eyesore is another’s urban icon.
"Darling Island from the top of Pyrmont Power Station" 1994 mixed media on paper 110x130cm
FINALIST : 1994 Dobell Prize for Drawing Art Gallery of NSW
“Casino Site from the top of Pyrmont Power Station” 1996oil on board 40x89cm
”Casino Site from the top of Pyrmont Power Station” 1996
oil on board 40 x 89cm
The long narrow building on the left, Pier 13, was once connected to Jones Bay
Road by a land bridge. Then Pier 13 became the temporary casino, painted a
hideous shade of bright yellow & the land bridge was demolished. Jones Bay Road
has since been renamed Pirrama Road & now a leads to the steps of Star City
Casino.
The brilliantly coloured ships in the background are painted to scale; they were so
immense that they towered over the buildings.
One of the great delights of painting in Pyrmont used to be watching the endless
parade of boats –sturdy ferries chugging past & the majestic tankers. Now Sydney’s
working Harbour has essentially disappeared.
“Star City Casino site 2”1996oil on canvas 122 x 180 cm
"Star City Casino site 2" 1996
oil on canvas 122 x 180 cm
This birds-eye view of construction gives an idea of the grand scale of the project.
At that stage, despite being partially demolished, the remaining section of the
Pyrmont Power Station was still fully operational & still provided most of the
electricity for the western side of the C.B.D.
This was one of the last paintings I completed from the roof of the Pyrmont Power
Station, hence its monumental scale.
“Pyrmont Panorama : Union Square from the Roof of Pyrmont Power Station” 1993oil on canvas 91 x 122cm
“Pyrmont Panorama : Union Square from the Roof of Pyrmont Power Station”1993
oil on canvas 91 x 122cm
One of my favourite studios was the roof of the old Pyrmont Power Station.
This painting is from the roof of the Chemistry Lab in the quirky Elcom building,
which now houses the Casino offices. Many of my paintings from this time
concentrate on the spectacular Sydney Harbour views, but for a change I decided to
record the heritage precinct of worker’s cottages, Victorian terraces & bond stores,
little knowing how much this view would change over the next decade. The bond
stores in the centre next to the vacant lot would soon make way for the substation
between Pyrmont & Harris streets.
The old “Duke of Edinburgh” hotel on the corner of Union & Harris Streets has been
repainted & is now known as the “Harlequin Inn”.
The handsome sandstone building with a red tiled roof that dominates the right
hand side was the Pyrmont Post Office, & has now become the Pyrmont Branch of
the Bendigo Community Bank.
“My studio at the back of Pyrmont Post Office” 1994 oil on canvas 38x76cm
“My studio at the back of Pyrmont Post Office” 1994
oil on canvas 38x76cm
This lovely heritage sandstone & tile building was formerly the Pyrmont Post
Office, & has recently become the Pyrmont Branch of the Bendigo Community
Bank.
It became my studio when Sydney Electricity started excavation of 2 bond stores
for a new substation to eventually replace the Pyrmont Power station.
Note my hard hat collection, steel-capped boots & fluoro vest!
" Union Square Terraces 4 - a little piece of Paris in Pyrmont" 2009 oil on canvas 51x76cm http://www.altmedia.net.au
”Water Police site” 1991oil on canvas 75 x 100cm
”Water Police site” 1991
oil on canvas 75 x 100cm
The “bird’s eye views” of the Water Police Site were painted at the C.S.R. Refinery,
where I had one of my many Pyrmont painting studios. The location was the top
floor of the No. 4 Brick Building known as the ‘Panhouse’ which was where the
brown sugar was refined into white.
In the late 1980’s a derelict Fingerwharf remained on the northern end & remnants
of the public baths could still be seen on the knuckle of the wharf. On the southern
end was the A.E.W.L., where I also had a studio space, courtesy of City-West
Development Corporation. The dockyards of White Bay, opposite the northern end
of Pyrmont are some of the last remaining vestiges of Sydney as a working harbour.
The Water Police Site has now been transformed into a park for the residents of
Pyrmont.
”CSR Cranes” 1996 ink on paper 31 x 41cm
”CSR from Pyrmont Point”1997 ink on paper 31 x 41cm
”CSR from Pyrmont Point” 1997
ink on paper 31 x 41cm
The building in the centre is the sugar packing house; some of its façade has been
incorporated into one of the new Jackson’s landing apartments but overall the
peninsula is dominated by the ‘Lemon’ & the ‘Gherkin’, unflattering local names for
two of the most obtrusive apartment blocks.In the foreground is an awning over the
A.E.W.L. building which was next to the Waterpolice site, which I painted from the
roof of the Boilerhouse.
At the time of this painting, I had returned to Sydney for a few months halfway
through my Marten Bequest Travelling Art Scholarship to find Pyrmont almost
unrecognisable. Bovis LendLease had already started demolition of the C.S.R.
Refinery & Distillery. By the time I had returned from my 2nd year Jackson’s
Landing was well underway. In March 2010, after a wrestling match between
residents, developers & the Council, the old Waterpolice site was officially opened
as a park.
CSR Sunset 1994 oil on board 31 x 91cm
"Jones Bay Wharf" 2000
pastel on paper 76 x 56cm
This pastel features the elegant overhead bridge linking its upper deck to the
lookout at the end of Point Street. This work was sketched from the little park in
front of Ways Terrace, the apartments perched on top of the escarpment opposite.
This pastel, completed very early on a crisp winter morning, shows a silvery
morning mist veiling the famous panorama of the Harbour so that the Bridge & the
city skyline are barely visible. Rust on the roof of the Wharf contrasts with the
steely grey water. The viewpoint is from the Ways Terrace apartments in Point
Street & emphasises how far the Wharf stretches out into the Harbour.
Jones Bay Wharf was formerly known as Pier 19,20 & 21 & has been renovated
extensively since this pastel. Now it is the site of many prestigious restaurants such
as "Flying Fish" & the elegant function centre "Doltone House"
"Industrial Cathedral, the Cooperage, C.S.R. Refinery" oil on canvas 91x61cm
"Industrial Cathedral, the Cooperage, C.S.R. Refinery"
oil on canvas 91 x 61cm
The most apparently unpromising place can reveal unexpected moments of beauty.
A fleeting shaft of light can magically transform a pile of rubble or a dilapidated
roof.
This painting of the Cooperage at the C.S.R. Refinery focuses on the mysterious
patterns of shadow made by the fall of light. The cavernous space & rows of
columns reminded me of the interiors of cathedrals & ruined abbeys.
The wall at the back was made of the famous butter-yellow Pyrmont sandstone,
which has been quarried to decorate the best loved historic Sydney buildings such
as the Australian Museum, the Sydney Post Office, the University of Sydney. At
sunset the rock face would catch the last rays of light & the derelict warehouse
would be transformed.
"CSR Refinery from the chimney of the boilerhouse"1994 acrylic on paper 91x61cm
"CSR Refinery from the chimney of the boilerhouse"1994
acrylic on paper 91 x 61cm
This painting of the C.S.R. Refinery is a view of some of the buildings from the roof
of the C.S.R. Boilerhouse.
On the right is the cherry-coloured coal crane; the building next to it is the coal
transporter. On the far left is a glimpse of the ‘Panhouse’, where the brown sugar
was actually refined into white; you can see the rickety landing from where I painted
Cat. No. 14. In the distance on the right is one of the ‘Barber Blue Sea’ ships (Later
to become the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines) unloading at White Bay.
The green coal loaders in the background are part of the Glebe Island terminal, now
recently vacated & awaiting redevelopment. The front brick skin of the Boilerhouse
was retained as the cladding for the Jackson’s Landing apartment block christened
the ‘Elizabeth’, but little else remains of the other buildings depicted here.
"Crane & Ship, CSR." 1996ink on paper 41x 31cm
"Crane & Ship, CSR." 1996
ink on paper 41x 31cm
The cherry-pink sugar crane drawn from the gatehouse of the C.S.R. Refinery, with
a ship docked at White Bay opposite.
One day I was painting a view of the Water Police site with White Bay in the
distance on a rusty old balcony on the top floor of the Panhouse when I heard a
deafening crunch & the whole building seemed to shudder. When I looked up, I
realized that one of the red & white cranes of White Bay was missing! One of the
vermilion Wallenius Wilhelmsen Line cargo ships (possibly the ‘Toba’) had
accidentally rammed it while docking & it lay on White Bay Wharf in a crumpled
heap.
"The Boilerhouse, C.S.R. Refinery from the jetty " 1991oil on canvas 91x91cm
"The Boilerhouse, C.S.R. Refinery from the jetty " 1991
oil on canvas 91x91cm
The Jetty has been demolished, & the Gatehouse has been transformed into the
stylish café “H2O” & the elegant restaurant “The Sugar Room”.
The imposing façade of the C.S.R. Boilerhouse has been incorporated into one of
the new Jackson’s landing apartments, the ‘Elizabeth’.
”White Bay Hotel from the Overpass” 1995oil on canvas 51 x 71cm
“White Bay Hotel from the Overpass 2” 1995 oil on canvas 25 x 51cm
“White Bay Hotel from the Overpass’ 1995
oil on canvas 25 x 51cm
This derelict hotel burnt down in suspicious circumstances in 2008 & the site will be
auctioned on 18th May 2010
http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au
"The last of the Hungry Mile" 2008 oil on canvas 180 x 122cm
"The last of the Hungry Mile" 2008
oil on canvas 180 x 122cm
I was Artist in Residence at the "Hungry Mile" aka "East Darling Harbour Wharves"
from 2005 until after the stevedores left & the preparations for "World Youth Week"
had started.
I painted this inside Shed 4, the top floor of which once contain the offices . While
the wharf was still operational I would never have been allowed to paint there as it
was far too dangerous. Forklifts used to whip in & out of the entrance constantly, &
there was a deafening alarm that would go off whenever this happened. I had
earmarked this spot as a site for an iconic painting as soon as I arrived in 2005. The
doorway frames the Sydney Harbour Tower, the bond stores & the quirky
architecture of the heritage Palisade Hotel perched on the golden sandstone
escarpment to perfection. This area is now called Barangaroo.The once bustling wharf has suddenly become
eerily silent; soon the cycle of demolition & construction shall begin.
Cockatoo Island :
A short History of Fitzroy & Sutherland Dock …
The Fitzroy Dry Dock was named after the new Governor of N.S.W., Sir Charles
Fitzroy & was built as a dry dock for the use of Royal Naval vessels in the South
Pacific. During construction, thousands of tons of sandstone were quarried by
convict labour, the men working in leg irons.
The Admiralty designed the original plan, but Captain Gother Mann, adapted it to
suit local conditions & expand its size. He used “state of the art” electronically
detonated explosives to remove the cliff face, assembled all the pumping machinery
& designed the floating caisson or gate. In 1857 the dock was 284 feet in length, but
was extended in 1870 & again in 1880 to its present length of 475 feet.
However by this time it became obvious that Fitzroy dock was no longer big enough
for the new steel battleships, so ₤150,000 was allocated for construction of a
graving dock intended to be the largest in the southern hemisphere – Sutherland
Dock.
" 2 Cranes on the North-West Slipway" 1989 oil on canvas 61 x 46cm
" 2 Cranes on the North-West Slipway" 1989
oil on canvas 61 x 46cm
Compare this 1989 painting with the 2007 one that I deliberately painted at the same
location, at the same time of day, at the same time of year & on the same format
canvas 18 years apart.
The green crane is the most obvious omission- a casualty of a storm not long after
this was painted.
Other changes are subtler: a touch of rust here & there, the "Paint shop" building
replaced by toilet blocks for the tourists, missing structures from the slipway & new
developments in Hunters Hill on the horizon.
" Crane & slipway from the Officers headquarters" 2007oil on canvas 46 x 36cm
" Crane & slipway from the Officers headquarters" 2007
oil on canvas 46 x 36cm
The newly built townhouses & marinas are clearly visible in the background.
" Fitzroy Dock, early morning" 2007 oil on canvas 75 x 100cm
" Fitzroy Dock, early morning" 2007
oil on canvas 75 x 100cm
The present floating caisson was made in 1927 but is a replica of the 1857 original.
This gate is pulled into & out of place with a tugboat & its position is predetermined
by the “fit”. The “fit” consisted of 2 grooves, one of which has been cut into each
side of the dock, running vertically down to the floor of the dry dock where they join
a gutter cut across the dock entrance. When the caisson was in position the
workmen would open a flood valve to let water into the caisson to sink it into
position, sealing the dock.
" Sunrise, Fitzroy Dock" 2007 oil on canvas 75 x 100cm
"Cockatoo Island Panorama 3" 2007 oil on canvas 25 x 153cm
“Cockatoo Island Triptych” 2006
oil on canvas 46 x 92cm each panel.
This triptych spans the entire southern industrial panorama of the island from
Fitzroy Dock on the far left to Sutherland Dock on the far right.
"Cockatoo Island Triptych – Fitzroy dock" 2006 oil on canvas 46 x 92cm each
Left Hand Panel
"Cockatoo Island Triptych-Fitzroy dock" 2006
oil on canvas 46 x 92cm each
Left Hand Panel
On the far left is part of the Turbine Hall complex.
A pigeon pair of 1918 utility cranes guard the entrance to the Fitzroy Dock. Next to
the Utility crane on the left hand side is one of the oldest steam cranes in Australia,
built in 1857.
The rusty 1890's Priestman crane in the centre also has a twin which you can see
depicted in the right hand canvas of this triptych next to Sutherland dock.
The brick buildings on the right were once used for submarine building, & the red &
white striped thing that looks like a giant boiled lolly is actually a crane
counterweight.
"Cockatoo Island Triptych" 2006 oil on canvas 46 x 92cm each
Centre Panel
"Cockatoo Island Triptych" 2006
oil on canvas 46 x 92cm each
Centre Panel
The brick building on the right was the centre for the Ship Painters & Dockers.
Rather appropriately I used to keep my paints & easel there. The crane to the left
was called the weathercock as it swings around in the wind.
“Cockatoo Island Triptych-Sutherland dock" 2006 oil on canvas 46 x 92cm each
Right Hand Panel
"Cockatoo Island Triptych-Sutherland dock" 2006
oil on canvas 46 x 92cm each
Right Hand Panel
1882-1890 Sutherland Dock was designed by Louis Samuel, a brilliant 23 year old
engineer, whose company also obtained the contract to build the piers for the
Hawkesbury River Bridge.
" The Glebe Island swing bridge with the ANZAC Bridge" 2009oil on canvas 35 x 45cm
"The 'Sirius Leader' "2008oil on canvas 41 x 51cm
"Arrival of the Blue Hawk- last Ro-Ro to leave Sydney" 2008 oil on canvas 56 x 76cm
" The Blue Hawk - last Ro-Ro to leave Sydney" 2008
oil on canvas 56 x 76cm
The "Blue Hawk" was the last car ship or "Ro-ro" (roll on, roll off) to depart Glebe
island in October 2009. Note the unusual ship design with the 2 ramps.
However, this was by no means the last ship or even the last cargo ship, as since
then there have been ships at Glebe with loads of salt & cement, such as the
"Goliath" & the "Thevenard".
Current occupants are the ex-HMAS Adelaide & the barge "Steel Hauler" with cables
bound for Botany. Even so, there is a distinct sense of the end of an era.
"The 'Blue Hawk' & Anzac Bridge at night" 2008 oil on canvas 25 x 31cm
The last Ro-ro due to depart at midnight in the rain.
Coda
I seem to have an uncanny instinct for selecting subjects that are about to vanish.
Ironically part of the attraction of such places is their poignant impermanence. I
sought to paint the landscape forever poised at the moment of transition – at the
first bite of the bulldozer – at the point of maximum contrast between past & future.
I experienced great frustration at painting to an unknown but inevitable time limit as
buildings were demolished as fast as I could paint them.
The urgency I felt expressed itself in the vitality of the brushwork As the momentum
of development rapidly gathered, I continued to record this area with an increasing
sense of purpose.
These works changed from isolated images into an extensive narrative sequence of
the abandonment, decay, destruction & reconstruction of an inner-city suburb – a
metaphor for deeper changes within Australia.
The mood has changed forever, & only my works remain as testament to the
passing of an era. This is a love poem to a lost city.