Industrial Cathedral

Industrial Cathedral
"Industrial Cathedral" charcoal on paper 131 x 131 cm Jane Bennett. Finalist in 1998 Dobell Drawing Prize Art Gallery of NSW Finalist 1998 Blake Prize Winner 1998 Hunter's Hill Open Art Prize

About Me

My photo
Sydney, NSW, Australia
I'm an Industrial Heritage Artist who paints "en plein air".If it's damaged, derelict, doomed and about to disappear, I'll be there to paint it.

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Eveleigh- Industrial Heritage Artist at Work

Eveleigh Rail Yards Community Consultation Open Day
Saturday 30 October 2010
Plein air painting of still life in the interior of the Large Erecting Shop Eveleigh Railway Workshops painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Ned Kelly at Eveleigh' an Eveleigh still life
oil painting on canvas 91 x 61 cm
Enquiries

 This was an invitation to share the passion for this important part of Sydney’s industrial heritage and be part of an exciting opportunity to shape the Eveleigh Rail Yards Interpretation Plan.
Rail Songs and Films
Creative Soundscapes in an old workshop
Heritage Artist at Work
Venue: Innovation Plaza, Australian Technology Park, Locomotive St, Eveleigh 10:00 am-3:30 pm 30 October 2010

You can also download the RWA Eveleigh Interpretation Plan Consultation Invite and pass it on to people who might be interested.
(I was the "Heritage Artist at Work", and also exhibited paintings of various parts of the Eveleigh Rail Yards )
Plein air painting of blacksmith at the forge in Bay 1/2 Locomotive Workshop, Australian Technology park, Eveleigh Railway Workshops painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Blacksmith ,Wrought Artworks'
Bay 1/2 Australian Technology Park,
Eveleigh Railway Workshops
2010 oil on canvas 122 x 152 cm
SOLD
PRIVATE COLLECTION : SYDNEY

Enquiries

See my
 Eveleigh paintings in this blog Irons in the fire
Watching the forge fires fade
Macdonaldtown - A Station without a suburb
Eveleigh- Industrial Heritage Artist at Work
The village smithy (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)
Time for Safety 
The slow return from the fire 
The fire within 
En plein air with street cred (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)

My exhibition at the Sydney Open

An Architectural Adventure
presented by the Historic Houses Trust
My paintings will be on exhibition at several venues during the Sydney Open, a biennial event presented by Historic Houses Trust that showcases Sydney’s architectural icons.
On display for one day only on Sunday 7th November 2010
A Blast from the Past at Workplace6
I will exhibit some of my early Pyrmont paintings at Workplace6, Pirrama Road opposite Star City Casino.
I painted in Pyrmont from the early 1980's until now. These paintings show how far Pyrmont has come since its dark days as an industrial wasteland.
I have witnessed many historic moments in Pyrmont’s metamorphosis. The site of Workplace6 was then occupied by Pier 13, where so many immigrants first set foot on Australian soil. One of the paintings of Pyrmont in the early 1990's, a 'bird's eye view' painted from the rooftop of the old Pyrmont Power Station, ( now replaced by the Star City Casino) shows a big red ship in the background - the now notorious 'Tampa'!
 I have already sampled the delights of Workplace6, as I was invited to the opening of Paul Signorelli's new foodie haven 'Gastronomia' as a member of PUCC, the Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce.
Pyrmont has certainly changed - I used to have to take my own lunch for a start! The pubs were then a 'no go' area for anyone who wasn’t looking for hard core trouble! I only experienced the odd bit of bother from the local larrikins, and as the locals got used to having an 'Artist in Residence' they would even keep an eye on my belongings and drag my paintings under cover for me if it started to rain. I felt as though I had been adopted as an honorary resident! I used to leave all my stuff lying around in the middle of Jones Bay Road (now called 'Pirrama Road) - there were few cars and the only strangers were from the cruise ships that still docked at Pier 13.
My paintings are a narrative of the abandonment, decay, destruction and reconstruction of an inner-city landscape – a metaphor for deeper changes within Australia. The mood has changed forever, and only my works remain as testament to the passing of an era.
Plein air mixed media drawing of Pyrmont Goods Yard from the roof of Pyrmont Power Station by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
P112   Pyrmont Goods Yard from
top of Pyrmont Power Station 
1991  ink on paper105  x131cm
Available



















Pyrmont Goods Yard, Darling Island and Pier 13 from the roof of Pyrmont Power Station. The old Pyrmont/Darling Island goods line has only just ceased operations and the gleaming white Australian National Maritime Museum has only just been built. Cruise ships still docked at Pier 13.
The cluster of sheds under the land bridge to Pier 13 were old signal boxes later refurbished to be sets for the filming of the flamenco scenes of the iconic Baz Luhrman film 'Strictly Ballroom'.
The East Darling Harbour Wharves, often known as the 'Hungry Mile' and now re-christened 'Barangaroo') are in the background.
 
Plein air oil painting from the roof of the Pyrmont Power Station painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Construction of Star City Casino
from the top of Pyrmont Power Station' 1996
oil painting on board 40 x 89cm
Available
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 bright yellow and the land bridge was demolished. Jones Bay Road has since been renamed Pirrama Road and now leads to the steps of Star City Casino, which is now being extensively renovated.
Workplace6 now occupies the site where Pier 13 once stood.
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 ebb and flow of ships–sturdy ferries chugging past, enormous cargo ships and majestic tankers.
I will also be exhibiting some of my Barangaroo paintings at '30 The Bond', the LendLease headquarters as part of the 'Sydney Open' on Sunday 7th November 2010 from 9.30-5pm.


Related posts
 2014 solo exhibition "Under the Hammer"
2011 solo exhibition "May close without warning"
Barangaroo : Red Square, the Drill Rig and a little archaeology

Wednesday 13 October 2010

My New Still life Paintings of Antique Navigation Instruments

I'm exhibiting these miniature still life paintings in 'Shelf Life' at the Trinity Delmar Gallery
Saturday 13th November- Sunday 5th December 2010
Miniature still life oil painting of reflecting quadrant, antique navigation instrument, oil painting by artist Jane Bennett
Reflecting quadrant and map
2009 oil on paper 10 x 10 cm
Miniature still life oil painting of sextant, antique navigation instrument, oil painting by artist Jane Bennett
John Bird's sextant 2009
oil on paper 10 x 10 cm
Miniature still life oil painting of celestial globe, antique navigation instrument, oil painting by artist Jane Bennett
Celestial Globe 2009 oil on paper 10 x 10 cm.
 
"Shelf life"
Trinity Delmar Gallery
144 Victoria St,
Ashfield NSW 2131
Tel: (02) 9581 6070
When: This exhibition opens 3pm on Saturday 13th November 2010
The exhibition continues to Sunday 5th December 2010
Gallery Hours: Open Wednesday to Sunday, 12-5pm


Related posts

Keep your eyes on the prize (and your finger off the trigger)

Monday 4 October 2010

Artist in Residence at the Maritime Museum

Watch paint dry!
 Plein air painting 
at the 'Classic and Wooden Boat Show'  
Marine Art Exhibition 
at the Australian National Maritime Museum,
16 - 17th Oct 10-4pm
An Update 
 
As well as exhibiting a few paintings, I'll also have some cards and small cheap works on paper available for sale.
Also - I shall bravely attempt some plein air painting at the Maritime Museum, close to the exhibition!
I will be there all weekend, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 4pm, rain, hail or shine.
Actually you will have to watch for quite a while, before the paint dries - I work in oils!  
I don't know how much serious painting I will achieve, but everyone is welcome to come and watch and ask me questions. I know, this just proves that artists are crazy. It would be just as sensible to set up my easel in the middle of Victoria Road in peak hour.(which I have nearly actually done- it was on the median strip not on the road itself, and it was on a Saturday morning, not actually a weekday peak hour. But it was in the middle of a rather lively anti- Metro rally, so near enough. The result was chaotic yet interesting.)
I expect to do as much talking as painting.
Most people haven't seen an artist at work - one little boy said with wide-eyed wonder that it was like seeing a real live dinosaur! Quite. 
Come along and say "Hi !"
Wordle: Exhibition at the Maritime Museum