Ghost in the machine

I've been painting ghost signs in the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, as one by one, the relics of the past slowly vanish.

E119 'Ghost sign in the Large' 2017 oil on canvas 31 x 15cm

$330

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

There are faded sepia warning signs so old that they are handwritten.
Fire extinguishers have kept a quiet vigil, like forgotten sentries post battle.

E119A 'Ghost sign in the Large 2' 2017 oil on canvas 31 x 15cm

$330

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

 

So, what is the 'Ghost in the machine' ?
This phrase, so often used, yet little understood, was coined by the Oxford philosopher Gilbert Ryle to describe the Cartesian dualist account of the mind–body relationship. One of the underlying assumptions within the famous maxim of the French 17th century philosopher René Descartes, 'Cogito ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am') is the notion that the mind is not only distinct, but actually separable from the body.

According to the philosopher John Locke (1632–1704), a person can be defined as ‘an intelligent being, having reason and reflection, which can consider itself in different times and places.’ By this definition, someone is defined as a person if they can think about themselves in the past, future, and conditional, and in a variety of different places. 
If a person has this quality of self-conscious recognition, what is the cause? Does consciousness reside in their body, their brain, or their ‘soul’? If that person has had a serious accident rendering them unconscious and without brain function -so that the body is still alive but the mind is no longer self-conscious nor could ever be again-Is the body still to be regarded as a person? If not, then how can the physical body alone be that which makes them a person?
If the Eveleigh Railway Workshops are emptied of most of their machines and other heritage items, how can they still be considered to be the Eveleigh Railway Workshops? How much can be removed, before it becomes an empty shell? When the contents of a container are removed, is it still a container?
What is a body without a mind or a soul?

More paintings of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops can be seen at my Eveleigh page on this blog.

Let there be rock

Starting my painting of the 'Excavation between Harris and Mount Streets, Pyrmont'  2017 oil on canvas 51 x 61cm

  $3,500

 Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

Not far south of the Terminus Hotel, another formerly ignored and derelict site is being gentrified.
There was a 'no man's land' between Harris and Mount streets which was an overgrown wasteland, with the southern end used as a carpark for the past 3 decades.

P241B 'Panorama from the roof of Pyrmont Power Station - from Harris St, Mount St to the CSR Distillery' 1991 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm

  $2,000

 Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

This is a small canvas I painted from the roof of the Chem-Lab of the Pyrmont Power Station in 1991, looking west towards the ethanol tanks of the CSR Distillery. In the centre is the handsome vine-covered Federation building that was once the house of the CSR Manager. The carpark can be seen to the right of the Manager's house.

Clumps of pampas grass used to poke through the badly laid bitumen, which was  covered with weeds and strewn with discarded bongs.
Only a brick pier wall facing Mount st and a tumbledown grafittied sandstone block wall remained above ground level as relics of the row of terraces once occupying that site. The terraces had been pulled down long before I started to paint in Pyrmont.

Starting my painting of the 'Excavation between Harris and Mount Streets, Pyrmont'  2017 oil on canvas 51 x 61cm

  $3,500

 Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

The carpark has now been excavated, revealing the golden sandstone beneath. This is one of the few remaining still undeveloped sites in Pyrmont, and I took the rare opportunity to paint the honey coloured tones of the yellowblock sandstone before it is removed and construction starts.
It isn't far from the McCaffery's stables, which had been built over the legendary 'Paradise Quarry', where the best quality sandstone in Sydney had been extracted.

Starting my painting of the 'Excavation between Harris and Mount Streets, Pyrmont'  2017 oil on canvas 51 x 61cm

  $3,500

 Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

Under the bitumen, an archaeologist's dig had revealed a cobbled sandstone path, a neatly finished sandstone cesspit, carved sandstone steps and mysterious carvings. One of the carved images resembled a child-like version of a church or chapel.  Paul Gye aka 'Pyrmonstrosity Pyrmontosis', who has dedicated many hours into painstakingly and expertly researching Pyrmont's hidden history, has concluded that these carvings might have dated from as early as 1840 and could refer to Dr JD Lang’s Presbyterian ‘Long Lost Chapel of Pyrmont’. The full album of photos of 'Pyrmonstrosity Pyrmontosis' site visit with photos of the carvings can be seen at Facebook album : Archaeological Site Visit - Mount & Harris Streets - 10 May 2017   
The chapel was later relocated to Ultimo, and its current location is the 'Mustard Seed' ministry in Bulwara Street (ironically opposite the Lord Wolseley Hotel).
Unfortunately despite their unique heritage value, the carvings have by now been completely destroyed by the excavation.

Starting my painting of the 'Excavation between Harris and Mount Streets, Pyrmont' 2017 oil on canvas 51 x 61cm

  $3,500

 Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

During my site visit, I tried to persuade the archaeologists to let me paint on site before the demolition started, but they gave me the brush off, no pun intended.
Frustratingly I had to peer through the hoardings and shadecloth.

Starting my painting of the 'Excavation between Harris and Mount Streets, Pyrmont'  2017 oil on canvas 51 x 61cm

  $3,500

 Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

The 2,300sq metre site on the south-western side of the Terminus Hotel, will be soon transformed into a collection of 15 low-rise terrace houses, known as the 'New Life Pyrmont' project. 

My painting of the 'Excavation between Harris and Mount Streets, Pyrmont' 2017 oil on canvas 51 x 61cm

  $3,500

 Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

I persuaded a kind passer-by to hold up my painting so I could take a good photo of it against the demolition. 
The top half of the stairs once leading from Harris Street to the carpark have already been demolished, and the Harris Street frontage has been completely excavated and removed to allow trucks to enter and remove the sandstone. 
I've heard that the terraces have been designed to incorporate some of the excavated sandstone from the site.
More paintings of Pyrmont can be seen on my Pyrmont page in this blog.

Revenant

Starting painting of'703 HFA' 2017 oil on canvas 122 x 91cm

$11,000

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

 

Revenant : an animated ghost or zombie believed to have revived to haunt the living.
Derived from the Latin word reveniens, "returning" 

The 703 HFA has been languishing up on stumps awaiting a restoration to past glory that will probably never happen.
This heritage wooden carriage was severely damaged in a tragic accident at Cowan on 6th May 1990, and has been sitting forlornly at the eastern end of the Large Erecting Shop in the Eveleigh Railway Workshops ever since. 

Starting painting of '703 HFA' 2017 oil on canvas 122 x 91cm

$11,000

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

When the steam locomotive 3801 was returning from the Morpeth Jazz Festival, it  struggled to climb the steep Cowan Bank, then stopped. To assist gripping, sand was then applied to the track, but unfortunately this caused the signals to malfunction. The signals apparently changed from red to green several times. After the signals had been green for a few moments, giving a false indication that the track was clear ahead, a CityRail Interurban passenger service entered the tunnel behind 3801 and crashed into the back of 3801's train. 
6 people lost their lives, including the driver of the intercity electric, and a passenger in the V Set's cab. An investigation into the crash suggested the handbrake in one of the carriages may also have been applied. 

'703 HFA' 2017 oil on canvas 122 x 91cm

$11,000

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

There have been sporadic episodes of restoration over the past 27 years, which were curtailed due to lack of funds, manpower or commitment. 
A restored carriage would be a symbolic triumph over the past tragedy, but this would be a difficult and expensive task. The dented frame of the carriage has severe structural problems and the wheels in front of the carriage have ‘sharp flanges’ - extremely worn edges which are the railway equivalent of a car having bald tyres. 
The 703HFA continues to haunt the shed, more a revenant than a phoenix. The gradual transformation of the Large Erecting Shop into a running shed means that it has an uncertain future. 
More paintings of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops are on the Eveleigh page of this blog. 

Nocturne - painting Locomotive 3642 steaming

3642 steaming at night from the Large 2017 oil on canvas tondo 31 x 31cm

 $990

'3642 steaming at night from the Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops' 2017 oil on canvas 15 x 31cm
$330
'Carriage and windows, night, Large Erecting Shop'
2017 oil on canvas 25 x 20cm
$550
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

On Thursday 20th July the heritage steam locomotive 3642 made a brief nocturnal visit to the Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops.
Despite the biting cold and sharp gusts of wind, I managed to paint 2 small oil studies of 3642 steaming outside the shed at night, as well as an interior of the Large Erecting Shop, before my fingers finally became too numb to hold a brush.

'3642 steaming at night from the Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops' 2017 oil on canvas 15 x 31cm
$330
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

3642 was making this brief pitstop at Eveleigh, before a historic journey to celebrate 150 years since the first regular passenger train travelled from Penrith to Weatherboard (known today as Wentworth Falls).

Starting my canvas of '3642 steaming at night from the Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops' 2017 oil on canvas 15 x 31cm

 $330

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

3642 was built for the New South Wales Government Railways in 1926 by Clyde Engineering and hauled passenger trains throughout NSW.
Originally painted black, it was painted green in the mid-1930s, but repainted black at the start of World War II.

It was withdrawn from operational service in September 1969, and moved to the NSW Rail Transport Museum until cracking was discovered in its firebox in 1973.

3642 steaming at night from the Large 2017 oil on canvas tondo 31 x 31cm

 $990

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

3642 was sent to Goulburn Roundhouse in 1979 to be overhauled and returned to service in November 1981.
In December 1994, 3642 was again withdrawn from service when the rear driving axle failed an ultrasonic test, and became a static exhibit at Thirlmere until restoration work began in 2006.
It returned to service in March 2008 and by the end of the year, the engine was yet again repainted green.

In July 2011, it was taken out of service for an overhaul before returning to service in April 2012.

3642 steaming at night from the Large 2017 oil on canvas tondo 31 x 31cm

 $990

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

My first small oil study was a straightforward rendering of the locomotive, but I had also brought a small tondo (circular canvas) to experiment with a different sort of composition. I used the huge and very sturdy doors of the shed to frame the steaming locomotive, and the tracks snake their way directly towards the viewer. The night lights turned the steam into puffs of iridescent blue, mauve and rose. 
More paintings of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops are on the Eveleigh page of this blog.