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 ink. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ink. Show all posts

Friday 18 July 2014

Ozymandias

Every ruin is a reminder that all things are destined for oblivion.
I am both artist and historian; painting amidst the detritus of the industrial past, walking under rusty girders in the shadow of toppled giants.
Plein air mixed media drawing of the now demolished Hammerhead Crane, Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Under the Hammerhead Crane'
2014 ink pastel charcoal on paper 115 x 80cm
FINALIST : 2014 KOGARAH ART PRIZE
FINALIST : 2014 MOSMAN ART PRIZE
Available 


This is a mixed media painting of the Hammerhead Crane, which unfortunately is now being demolished, despite its iconic heritage status and distinguished history.
By now the "hammerhead" of the crane has been almost completely dismantled.
Instead of painting from the more familiar viewpoint of Mrs Macquarie's Chair opposite, I tackled the daunting bureaucracy of the Navy for permission to paint 'en plein air' on Garden Island itself.
I stood directly underneath the Crane and looked up into the top of the soaring structure, to capture its sheer scale. It is the embodiment of the 18th century concept of the sublime.
This painting has now been chosen as a finalist in both the Kogarah Art Prize and the Mosman Art Prize.
People are absent in many of my paintings, even though I trained as a figure painter and for 2 decades spent several days a week drawing and painting figures from life. I find that leaving out figures or relegating them to the role of "staffage" enhances the sense of the powerlessness of the individual against the inexorable forces of destruction and change. The crane itself is the best homage to the absent and largely forgotten workers who created the industrial landscapes that are now being destroyed.
Plein air mixed media drawing of the now demolished Hammerhead Crane, Garden Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
GIHC13 'The Hammerhead Crane - homage to Piranesi' 

2014 ink gouache on paper 56 x 76cm
Available
Spaces that have a sense of history, place and meaning, find an echo in art history.
The safety nets resemble fan vaulting in a ruined Gothic abbey and the zig-zag tangle of girders and scaffolding recall Piranesi's images of the 'Carceri' or the wreckage of the dying Roman Empire.
The Hammerhead Crane was built during World War II, and symbolized industrial might, the march of progress and confidence in the values of Western civilization.
The mood of past triumphalism is now tempered by the present reality of scuffed textures, rust and tarnished metal.
Even as a victim of the slow death of de-industrialization, it had retained a poignant grandeur as industrial memento mori.
The last gasp of the Industrial Revolution, and of Sydney's Working Harbour.
In the words of Shelley's ruin-poem Ozymandias "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Except that a future civilization would be extremely lucky to be able to find any trace of our heroic past.


Related posts





Monday 14 April 2014

Under the Hammer

Before the Navy finally booted me off Garden Island, I made sure that I tackled some large scale drawings
Since 2007, due to real or perceived safety issues, temporary catch platforms have been suspended from the long arm and short arm jibs. They spoil the line, but apparently provide access to allow condition inspections to be performed safely.
At first glance, it looks as though the Hammerhead Crane has 5 legs.
However, one of these "legs" is a lift to give access from the wharf to the slew ring level (seen in the centre at the top of my drawing). As the crane is 61m high, this wasn't an idle luxury.
Unfortunately this lift has been out of operation since 1998.
While drawing this, I met probably the last person to have ever used the lift. He was escorting a group of photographers to the top, and had pressed the lift button when he heard a muffled explosion, and then found his hands were black with graphite.
He said that he was lucky and got off lightly. I think he was right.

plein air charcoal and ink drawng of the Hammerhead Crane, Garden Island by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Under the Hammerhead Crane' 2014
ink, pastel, charcoal,graphite on paper 140 x 110cm
WINNER : 2014 DRAWING PRIZE ROYAL EASTER SHOW
Enquiries


My hands were also black with graphite after creating this enormous drawing.
I stood directly underneath and looked up into the top of the soaring structure.
By looking up I sought to capture the Burke and Longinus concept of the "sublime", with its overtones of awe, terror and vertigo, rather than the picturesque aspect of the typical "hammerhead" profile, a view familiar from Mrs Macquarie's Chair opposite.
The girders were silhouetted against the open sky; the safety nets resembling fan vaulting in a ruined Gothic abbey.
While creating this enormous drawing, I also remembered Piranesi's devastating images of Roman ruins, dangerously broken and overgrown amid the wreckage of a dead civilization.
 GIHC7 'Under the Hammerhead Crane'
2014 ink pastel charcoal on paper 76 x 56cm
























I am an artist and historian, born into a time and place where only sport and business are valued. Drawing on the ruins of the industrial past , walking under rusty girders in the shadow of toppled giants.
Every ruin is implicitly a reminder that all things are destined for oblivion.
The Hammerhead Crane was built to demonstrate industrial might and the march of progress.
Even as a victim of the slow death of de-industrialization, it retains a poignant grandeur.
This was exhibited in my solo show "Under the Hammer" at the Frances Keevil Gallery from November 18th - December 7th 2014.


Related Posts






Related articles


"inheritance"- Post "Hammerhead Crane-Garden Island under threat"

"Inheritance" Post - Navy Fleet Review- an opportunity missed


Tuesday 18 March 2014

Pyrmont paintings past and present- My Exhibition in the Australian National Maritime Museum

Yesterday, today and tomorrow in Pyrmont.
I've been invited to exhibit a selection of 15 of my Pyrmont paintings in the members' lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum.
This exhibition will still be on display throughout the annual Pyrmont festival in May, which culminates in a 2 day celebration of Art, Wine and Food in Pirrama Park, on the weekend of Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May 2014.
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
My exhibition of Pyrmont paintings
in the members lounge of the
Australian National Maritime Museum
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
My exhibition of Pyrmont paintings
in the members lounge of the
Australian National Maritime Museum
Enquiries about these paintings
As usual, I will be exhibiting my smaller canvases and paintings on wood panels at the Park itself, however this display in the members lounge has given me a wonderful opportunity to show work that is impossible to display outdoors in the festival, such as works on paper framed under glass.
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
My exhibition of Pyrmont paintings
in the members lounge of the
Australian National Maritime Museum
Enquiries about these paintings

exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
My exhibition of Pyrmont paintings in the
members lounge of the
Australian National Maritime Museum
This is a view of the exhibition from the most comfy sofa in the middle of the members lounge.
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
My exhibition of Pyrmont paintings
in the members lounge of the
Australian National Maritime Museum
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
My exhibition of Pyrmont paintings
in the members lounge of the
Australian National Maritime Museum
This quick sketch of the rooftops of the CSR Refinery and the Glebe Island swing bridge is hung behind the reception desk.
I drew this from the top of the CSR Boilerhouse several years before the Anzac Bridge was built.
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
P97B "Tumbledown cottage, 95 Pyrmont st (now demolished)"
1994 ink/paper 22 x 30 cm
P31 "Jones Bay Wharf, 1" 1997 ink/paper 30.5 x 40.5 cm
O21 "Pyrmont, looking west from Observatory Hill"
1989 gouache/paper 34 x 75 cm
Enquiries about these paintings

exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
HCT13 "The 'Southern Cross' from the Harbour Control Tower 2007
gouache/paper 30 x 50 cm
Enquiries about these paintings

This is the most recent image of Pyrmont in this exhibition, although by now the wharf in the foreground has been completely demolished to make way for the controversial Barangaroo development.
My studio in the control room of the Harbour Tower gave me a 360 degree birds eye view of Sydney Harbour, so this is a very unfamiliar aspect of the Pyrmont peninsula.
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
P120 "Jones Bay Wharf" 2000 pastel/paper 76 x 56 cm
P90 "CSR Sunset" 1998 oil/canvas 61 x 91 cm
P91 "CSR Refinery" 1994 acrylic/paper 76 x 56 cm
Enquiries about these paintings

exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
P90 "CSR Sunset" 1998 oil/canvas 61 x 91 cm
P91 "CSR Refinery" 1994 acrylic/paper 76 x 56 cm
Enquiries about these paintings

Two views of the CSR Refinery, which is now the Jackson's Landing development.
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
P80 "Pyrmont Power Station from Mill St 1"
1991 mixed media/paper 76 x 56 cm
P35 "Pyrmont Bond Stores
(‘Darling Island Bond and Free’ 12 Pyrmont st)"
1996 ink/paper 30.5 x 40.5 cm
Enquiries about these paintings

Two evocative ink and wash drawings are hung at the end corner of the room.
The glitzy Star Casino has now replaced the brooding ruins of the Pyrmont Power Station.
However, in contrast the bond store at no. 12 Pyrmont street, known as "Darling Island Bond and Free" has changed so little that I can't believe that nearly 2 decades has passed since I drew this moody ink and wash sketch.
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
P90 "CSR Sunset" 1998 oil/canvas 61 x 91 cm
P91 "CSR Refinery" 1994 acrylic/paper 76 x 56 cm

Enquiries about these paintings
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
HCT13 "The 'Southern Cross' from the Harbour Control Tower "
2007 gouache/paper 30 x 50 cm
P120 "Jones Bay Wharf" 2000 pastel/paper 76 x 56 cm

Enquiries about these paintings
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
P36 "Ways Terrace from Lower Jones Bay Road"
1993 ink/paper 31 x 41 cm

Enquiries about these paintings
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
P103 "From the roof of Pyrmont Power Station
1994 oil/canvas 92 x 122 cm
P214 "Sydney Harbour from the top of the
Pyrmont Power Station(building Star Casino)"
1997 oil/board 40 x 89 cm
Enquiries about these paintings
The red ship in the background is the notorious ‘Tampa’, painted several years before the refugee incident.
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
P97B "Tumbledown cottage, 95 Pyrmont st (now demolished)"
1994 ink/paper 22 x 30 cm
P31 "Jones Bay Wharf, 1" 1997 ink/paper 30.5 x 40.5 cm

Enquiries about these paintings
exhibition of Pyrmont paintings by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett in the members lounge of the Australian National Maritime Museum
P92 "Industrial Cathedral 2" (‘Cooperage’, CSR Refinery)
1998 oil/canvas 92 x 61 cm
P97B "Tumbledown cottage, 95 Pyrmont st
(now demolished)" 1994 ink/paper 22 x 30 cm
P31 "Jones Bay Wharf, 1" 1997 ink/paper 30.5 x 40.5 cm
Enquiries about these paintings
An added bonus is that the Australian National Maritime Museum is very close to the sites where most of my paintings were created, so the viewers only have to step outside for a moment to grasp how much the landscape of the inner city suburb of Pyrmont has changed over the last 30 years.
Glimpses of Pyrmont's half forgotten industrial past can still be discerned through the manicured lawns and towers of high rise, but only if you know exactly what to look for.

Related posts



Monday 8 October 2012

Tower of Power- Drawings of the White Bay Power Station

White Bay, an often overlooked part of Sydney's industrial and maritime heritage will soon be radically overhauled.
ink wash and gouache drawing on paper of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
'White Bay Power Station' 2012
ink gouache on paper 30 x 21cm

FINALIST : 2012 KEDUMBA DRAWING PRIZE




















Enquiries

I have painted many of its current and former landmarks, including the Unilever site, the White Bay Power Station and the notorious White Bay Hotel, (which was 'mysteriously' burnt down) ever since they were all operational in the late 70s - early 80s.

ink wash and gouache drawing on paper of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
'Chimneys of the White Bay Power Station 2' 2012
ink gouache on paper 30 x 21cm
FINALIST : 2012 KEDUMBA DRAWING PRIZE
Enquiries
This is a group of 4 small ink wash and gouache drawings on paper, which I have decided to enter in the 2012 Kedumba Invitational Drawing Prize.
ink wash and gouache drawing on paper of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
'Coal Loader White Bay Power Station' 2012
ink gouache on paper 30 x 21cm

FINALIST : 2012 KEDUMBA DRAWING PRIZE





















It seems a strange distortion of scale to create such small works in response to such a slumbering beast as the gigantic Power Station. Usually I paint an enormous canvas to try to capture its heroic proportions.
However there are so many exquisite details which can get lost in a larger composition that I was glad of the opportunity to focus on them. Every inch of this rusting monster is worthy of a painting, so that it is difficult to choose.
ink wash and gouache drawing on paper of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
'Coal Loader and Chimney White Bay Power Station'
 2012 ink gouache on paper 30 x 21cm
FINALIST : 2012 KEDUMBA DRAWING PRIZE


And I will have to choose quickly.
Now the White Bay Transit Shed has been partially demolished and the site re-developed as the controversial new Cruise ship terminal.
Glebe Island wharf, once used for offloading cars, has been eerily empty since the departure of ex-HMAS Adelaide to its watery grave off North Avoca in 2011.
A temporary exhibition venue will soon be built on this space to replace the Darling Harbour complex while it is being refurbished.
A road will soon be built on the empty site where the "Great Gatsby" had been filmed last year, to link all these new developments to civilization.
oil painting on canvas of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
"White Bay Power Station after rain"
2012 oil on canvas 183 x 112cm
Sold 
PRIVATE COLLECTION : SYDNEY

So I feel that the days of the White Bay Power Station as a hulking urban ghost are numbered. 
One day the sleeping giant will wake.... 
To what sort of future? 
Update

Friday 20 May 2011

Eveleigh - (Very) Stained Glass Windows Part 1

One door closes...
Early in 2012 renovations started on some parts of the interior and exterior of the Large Erecting Shop at Eveleigh. New wooden doors made to the original pattern and drawings replaced the corrugated iron doors on all 6 roads.
Wrought Artworks, the blacksmith's forge, in Bay 1/2 south of the ATP  had their massive wooden doors replaced.
ink and gouache painting of the windows in the interior of the Large Erecting Shop in the Eveleigh Railway Workshops by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Painting E77 'The corner windows, Large Erecting Shop'
2011 ink/acrylic on paper 131 x 115cm.
I painted a series of paintings of the doors and windows of the Large Erecting Shop before their makeover.
ink and gouache painting of the windows in the interior of the Large Erecting Shop in the Eveleigh Railway Workshops by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Painting E77 'The corner windows, Large Erecting Shop'
2011 ink/acrylic on paper 131 x 115cm
I have mixed feelings - I loved the brooding atmosphere and quirky imperfections caused by decades of soot, industry and vandalism, yet I'm glad that at least a token gesture has been made to respecting and conserving the building's heritage.
ink and gouache painting of the windows in the interior of the Large Erecting Shop in the Eveleigh Railway Workshops by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Painting E77 'The corner windows, Large Erecting Shop'
2011 ink/acrylic on paper 131 x 115cm.
Available
However, apart from fixing holes in the roof, the improvements seemed to be restricted to the purely cosmetic rather than structural - the power, lighting and water supply, which could well stand some serious improvements, didn't seem to be on the list.
ink and gouache painting of the windows in the interior of the Large Erecting Shop in the Eveleigh Railway Workshops by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Painting E77 'The corner windows, Large Erecting Shop'
2011 ink/acrylic on paper 131 x 115cm
The strange skeletal silhouettes against the windows are the relics of old train seats stacked madly against the grill!
Shapes would emerge and sink back into the gloom as railway workers opened and closed the doors.
ink and gouache painting of the windows in the interior of the Large Erecting Shop in the Eveleigh Railway Workshops by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Painting E77 'The corner windows, Large Erecting Shop'
2011 ink/acrylic on paper 131 x 115cm.
Available 
In the darkness I could barely make out the forms of motley bits of decades of collected junk; a shelf of old batteries sitting on rotting pallets,a couple of seats, a carriage window with panes of smeared and broken glass. This is flanked by a nest of ladders -I thought at first there were snakes behind them, but instead there is a cluster of bits of pipe. Around the base of the ladder to the right lie a stack of old brakes, which at first sight resembled blocks of wood.
ink and gouache painting of the windows in the interior of the Large Erecting Shop in the Eveleigh Railway Workshops by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Painting E77 'The corner windows, Large Erecting Shop'
2011 ink/acrylic on paper 131 x 115cm.
Available
But most of it is wonderfully incomprehensible and fabulously useless.
ink and gouache painting of the windows in the interior of the Large Erecting Shop in the Eveleigh Railway Workshops by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
E77 'The corner windows, Large Erecting Shop' 2011
ink/acrylic on paper 131 x 115cm.
Available
The finished painting in glorious monochrome.

Related posts

Macdonaldtown - A Station without a suburb