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.
Showing posts with label Woolloomooloo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Woolloomooloo. Show all posts

Wednesday 17 June 2020

Isolation Gallery- Walsh Bay

Today's painting featured in my Isolation gallery is from over 20 years ago. It shows the redevelopment of Walsh Bay Wharves.
Isolation gallery-oil painting of redevelopment of Walsh Bay Wharves by artist Jane Bennett
W33 'Walsh Bay Wharves from Wharf 8-9'
1999 oil on canvas 61 x 101cm
I was 'Artist in Residence' at the Woolloomooloo Fingerwharves during their redevelopment & refurbishment in the late 1990s. Many of the same construction workers later worked on the transformation of Walsh Bay Wharves a couple of years later, so they inherited me as 'Artist in Residence'.
I painted the derelict, fire-ravaged and soon to be demolished Wharves 6-7  from the interior of Wharf 8-9.
The green netting and bright yellow boom contrasts with the red brick and weathered timber of the wharves.
Isolation gallery-oil painting of redevelopment of Walsh Bay Wharves by artist Jane Bennett
W33 'Walsh Bay Wharves from Wharf 8-9'
1999 oil on canvas 61 x 101cm
I can't believe how much this area has changed since this painting!
Barangaroo has replaced the East Darling Harbour Wharves, aka 'The Hungry Mile', one of the last relics of Sydney's Working Harbour. 
The residents of Millers Point have mostly been relocated, & the area almost resembles a ghost town.
W33 'Walsh Bay Wharves from Wharf 8-9'
1999 oil on canvas 61 x 101cm

 
 
 

Monday 6 January 2014

Painting the Icebreaker "Polar Star"

I was continuing my paintings of the Hammerhead Crane at Garden Island last Friday when I was startled by the arrival of a large red-hulled ship.
plein air painting of  icebreaker U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star"  at Garden Island by artist Jane Bennett
Holding up my painting of 'U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star"arriving at Garden Island'
 2014 oil on canvas 20 x 25cm
as the icebreaker departs for the Antarctic
                   


















It docked alongside the Hammerhead Crane, so was difficult to ignore.
On its hull was the number "10" and the name "U.S. Coast Guard" written in white block letters.
It was the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter "Polar Star", one of the world's most powerful icebreakers making a port call in Sydney before it transits to conduct a rescue mission in the Antarctic.
This heavy icebreaker cut short its Sydney visit to go to the rescue of 2 ships stuck in the Antarctic ice - the Russian research ship 'Akademik Shokalskiy' which has been trapped in ice-clogged Commonwealth Bay since Christmas Eve, as well as the Chinese ship which came to its rescue, 'Xue Long' ( 'Snow Dragon' in Chinese) and had also become stuck nearby.
plein air painting of  icebreaker U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star"  at Garden Island by artist Jane Bennett
Holding up my painting of
'U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star" 
arriving at Garden Island'
 2014 oil on canvas 20 x 25cm
                       


















Fortunately I always carry a selection of small canvases, just in case I need to capture an unexpected moment.
I painted a  20 x 25cm small horizontal canvas of the Polar Star's arrival at Garden Island, with the crescent of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background partially hidden by the trees of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie's Chair.
I also managed to finish a 15 x 30cm tiny panoramic canvas of the Polar Star docked beside the Hammerhead Crane before her departure for Antarctica on the morning of Sunday 5th January.
And I work fast.
plein air painting of  icebreaker U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star"  at Garden Island by artist Jane Bennett
On my easel is my half finished panoramic painting of
'U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star"  at Garden Island'
 2014 oil on canvas 30 x 153cm
Enquiries
                           


















I started an ambitious panorama showing the "Polar Star" beneath the Hammerhead Crane on the left, while on the right is a glimpse of the HMAS Sydney behind some dock buildings and an old crane.

plein air painting of  icebreaker U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star"  at Garden Island by artist Jane Bennett
On my easel is my half finished panoramic painting of
'U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star"  at Garden Island'
 2014 oil on canvas 30 x 153cm
Enquiries
                           


















I knew I wouldn't have time to finish this painting before the "Polar Star" left for its Antarctic rescue mission, but I have enough information from the 2 small studies I painted earlier to be able to complete it.

plein air painting of  icebreaker U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star"  at Garden Island by artist Jane Bennett
On my easel is my half finished panoramic painting of
'U.S. Coastguard Cutter "Polar Star" at Garden Island'
 2014 oil on canvas 30 x 153cm
Enquiries
                          

















Related posts

Sunday 5 January 2014

Hammerhead Crane, Garden Island

Plein air painting of the Hammerhead Crane before its demolition at Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Starting painting the Hammerhead Crane
on Garden Island
Enquiries

The Hammerhead Crane on Garden Island was built between 1944- 1951.
Plein air painting of the Hammerhead Crane before its demolition at Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
It was still, at the time of this painting, the largest dockside crane in Australia, and one of only 15 still standing around the world.
Plein air painting of the Hammerhead Crane before its demolition at Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Soon there will be only 14, as Sydney's Hammerhead Crane has not been used since 1996 and will soon be demolished.
Plein air painting of the Hammerhead Crane before its demolition at Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett





















I've been trying to get access to paint the Hammerhead Crane from Garden Island for over 2 years.
After a longer than usual struggle with bureaucracy, I finally gained permission to paint there during the Navy "Rap" period.
No hiphop is involved with the Navy's "Rap"- it's apparently an acronym for reduced activity over the Christmas holiday period.
Plein air painting of the Hammerhead Crane before its demolition at Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
As the sky became more overcast, I decided to repaint the background for a more dramatic effect.
Plein air painting of the Hammerhead Crane before its demolition at Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett























I think about these structures as a paleontologist regards fossils as once living organisms, and to understand them in that light.
The specimens paleontologists collect are not the living creatures but the few skeletons and fragments that have had the good fortune to survive the lottery of decay and fossilization and come out on the other side as beautiful relics.
The sites I paint are usually relics.

Plein air painting of the Hammerhead Crane before its demolition at Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
My vantage point for my first painting of the Hammerhead Crane on Garden Island is from the Fitting out Wharf, just to the north of the crane.
I have often painted the Hammerhead Crane from Mrs Macquarie's Chair and the Woolloomooloo Fingerwharf opposite. From these viewpoints, the Hammerhead Crane looked like an leftover Meccano toy.
However now I am almost directly beneath it, I feel overwhelmed by the power and scale of this immense crane looming over me.
The mass of scaffolding unfortunately obscures much of the original structure, while fortunately also preventing it from dropping rusty remnants on my head from a great height.
The contractors will have to construct a temporary crane next to the Hammerhead, which will take several weeks.
The demolition process might take the better part of a year from start to finish, so there will be time to paint many more canvases.
Plein air painting of the Hammerhead Crane before its demolition at Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
"Hammerhead Crane from the
Fitting Out Wharf, Garden Island "
2014 oil on canvas 61 x 51cm
Enquiries


Several of my paintings and drawings of the Hammerhead Crane have won multiple art awards.
I exhibited my series of paintings and drawings of the Hammerhead Crane at my solo exhibition at the Frances Keevil Gallery "Under the Hammer" 18th November - 7th December 2014.

More paintings with a naval theme
Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo Part 2

Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo

Painting 'Spirit of Tasmania' in Garden Island Drydock