This is how the light gets in

“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
“Anthem,” by Leonard Cohen from his 1992 album The Future.

Starting a small square canvas 46 x 46cm

of two windows and a door in the

Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops

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These are healing words to someone who often struggles under the unbearable weight of perfectionism. It is more than a confrontation with the strange beauty of broken things.

It is a powerful message of hope in dark times.There is a crack in everything whether a physical object such as a piece of machinery, or even a state of mind.

But that’s where the light gets in, and that’s where we can find the transcendence we need to interpret painful events in a wider context.

Literally, nothing, and nobody is perfect.That should not be a source of despair or frustration.

Imperfection is a sign of life.

Starting a small square canvas 46 x 46cm

of two windows and a door in the

Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops

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If the purpose of a window is to be able to let an observer see outside, or to illuminate the interior, the windows of the Large Erecting Shop of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops fail spectacularly.

'2 windows and a door in the Large Erecting Shop,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm

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However, the evocative effects created by sunlight filtering through the grid of rusty bars rival the stained glass of Chartres Cathedral.

'2 windows and a door in the Large Erecting Shop,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm

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Every pane is a unique mix of translucency and texture.

Starting a 91 x 61cm canvas

of the strange green window.

" 2 windows and a door, Large Erecting Shop,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops' 2017

oil on canvas 46 x 46cm 

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Their ethereal opalescent quality is not caused by expensive designer frosting, but by more than a century's buildup of deposits of dirt, pigeon droppings, steam and diesel fumes.

Starting a 91 x 61cm canvas

of the strange green window.

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And there are cracks galore.

Starting a 91 x 61cm canvas

of the strange green window.

Enquiries
Other imperfections abound.

Half finished 91 x 61cm canvas

of the strange green window.

'2 windows and a door in the

Large Erecting Shop,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm"

Enquiries
Ghost signs warning of the dangers of long lost machinery alternate with boarded over panes in abstract patterns that would make Mondriaan's head spin.

Half finished 91 x 61cm canvas of the strange green window.
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Doors are abruptly cut into them, apparently at random.

Half finished 91 x 61cm canvas of the strange green window.
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com
An inexplicably green pane of glass casts an eerie phosphorescent glow.

"Window with pane of green glass"

2017 oil on canvas 91 x 61cm

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When the Large Erecting Shop is redeveloped, the windows will be replaced with uncracked clear panes to match the rest of the gentrified ATP.
No rogue panes of eldritch green glass will startle the viewer with their otherworldly light. They will be made safe, watertight, functional, identical and boring.
The chaotic jumble of heritage machinery in the Large Erecting Shop will be culled and tamed. There will be nothing accidental, mysterious or inexplicable.
There will soon be no cracks left to let the light in.
More paintings of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops

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Ghost in the machine

Scar Tissue

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The slow return from the fire

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Ghost train

Work in progress - 'Engine shop,

Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm

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There has been a lot of uncertainty about the future of the 3801 Ltd, and even of the Large Erecting Shop itself. Many of the relics will probably be lost or put into storage if the site is to become a running shed. This would mean that trains would still run from the shed, but no repair or maintenance work could be carried out. Anything not required merely to run the trains would then be removed from the interior and either sent to Thirlmere, put in storage or even put in a skip bin.

Already a lot of items have been put in the skip or just disappeared.

Work in progress - 'Engine shop,

Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm

Enquiries

This old office in the Large Erecting shop of Eveleigh Railway Workshops, had been used to store stacks of windows and doors waiting to be repaired to refurbish a carriage.

In front of it are lathes, drills and boxes of rusting tools that obviously are many decades old.

Work in progress - 'Engine shop,

Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm

Enquiries

This old office is an example of the sort of item that may not be kept, despite its historical interest.

Before it was used to store windows, it had been the headquarters of the 51⁄2 year restoration of 3830, which was carried out by a team of about 12 volunteers from the Powerhouse Museum and 3801 Limited.
There are still ghost signs that haven't been erased from when the restoration of 3830 started in 1992.

Work in progress - 'Engine shop,

Large Erecting Shop, Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm

Enquiries
On the weathered sky blue boards are inscriptions in white chalk about its time of service.
"3830 18 years 11 months 4 days
Into service 27/9/49
Withdrawn 31/10/67 (Illegible) birthday 23 years
Cost £53,145/2/0 Basic Wage 4/8 11/20d/hour
Builders' No 170 40 hours £8/12/0 approx"

Work in progress - 'Engine shop,

Large Erecting Shop,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm

Enquiries

The blackboard on the left hand side of the window of the old office has a mysterious list of the 38 class locos, split into 2 sections.

The left hand side of the blackboard starts with 3826, 3830, 3802, 3801, 3810, 3812, 3825, 3804, 3813, 3826, 3823, 3818, 3808, 3807, then there is a vertical line.
On the other side 3806 has been almost erased, then 3814, 3811, 3819, 3828, 3806, 3809, 3811, then a few illegible words with "38's are great mate" written over them.

'Engine shop, Large Erecting Shop,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm

Enquiries

I had wondered why the numbers had been written in such a haphazard order, and why some were missing and others repeated.

It was obviously not chronological, but there was obviously a reason behind it.
The secret was finally revealed by a veteran of the restoration.
The 3830 was a sort of 'Frankenstein's monster', composed of parts cannibalized from other 38 class locos.
The list of 38 class locos refers to the original source of particular items that finally ended up as part of 3830.

Ironically, the current (although now non-functioning) boiler of the 3830, was the original boiler of the 3801! The saga of the many attempts to fix /replace the current boiler of 3801 has been dragging on since 2007.

Now in 2020, ironically the boiler has been fixed and the loco is operational, but due to the Covid restrictions, the planned grand opening has had to be postponed.

'Engine shop, Large Erecting Shop,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops'

2017 oil on canvas 46 x 46cm

Enquiries

Unfortunately restoration and maintenance may not be regarded as priorities in the proposed future of this building.

I think that this is a short sighted policy that shows an appalling lack of respect to all the hard work carried out over so many decades by so many volunteers. This attitude will lead to the loss of irreplaceable heritage items and skills.

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This is how the light gets in

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Rust bucket

The now derelict 'William Wallbank and Sons' was a foundry on the Parramatta Road, Auburn, dating from 1932.

One of their specialties had been making the components for brick making machines.

AWW1 'Watching the forge fires fade 1
 'William Wallbank + Sons' 187 Parramatta Road'
2016 oil on canvas 56 x 76cm
Available

In 2008 I exhibited a series of paintings that I had created of old brickworks at Eastwood, St Peters and Brookvale at the Museum of Sydney during the book launch of "The Brickmasters"  , a comprehensive history of brickmaking in Australia by Ron Ringer.

Several of my paintings of Brickworks at Brookvale. Eastwood and St Peters were included in this book. At the launch I met Frank Wallbank, who invited me to paint in the foundry, but unfortunately I delayed taking up his offer.
A friend alerted me to the foundry's closure and I was able to contact the new owner and arrange access to paint. I am kicking myself for not getting there while it was still working, but better late than never!

AWW2 'Watching the forge fires fade
('William Wallbank + Sons' )
2016 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm
Highly Commended 2016 Auburn Art Prize
Available

 In a foundry, metal is melted into liquid in a furnace.

To cast the metal into shapes, the molten liquid is then poured into a mould in the shape of the desired part.
Simple designs can be made in a single piece or solid pattern.

More complex designs are made in two parts, known as a split pattern, which has a top section, or "cope", and a bottom section, called a "drag".

Patterns can be made from wax, wood, plastic, or metal.

AWW2 'Watching the forge fires fade
('William Wallbank + Sons' )
2016 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm
Highly Commended 2016 Auburn Art Prize 
Available

Traditionally, moulds were poured by hand, using ladles. It must have been horrifically dangerous.
I was told that all the foundry workers were supposed to wear a special sort of protective covering over their boots, similar to old-fashioned "spats" to stop the molten metal droplets burning their skin, but these were unpopular as the metal would still find a way to trickle down the gap and into their boots. Instead of protecting, the boot covering seemed to cause even more damage.

AWW2 'Watching the forge fires fade
('William Wallbank + Sons' )
2016 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm
Highly Commended 2016 Auburn Art Prize 
Available

Now modern foundries use robots or automatic pouring machines to pour the molten metal.
As the metal cools it solidifies and then the mould (known as a 'casting') is removed.

AWW2 'Watching the forge fires fade
('William Wallbank + Sons' )
2016 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm
Highly Commended 2016 Auburn Art Prize
Available

My canvas of this set of 3 abandoned ladles was recently runner-up in the 2016 Auburn Art Prize, held in the Peacock Gallery opposite the Botanical Gardens.
The central ladle has a capacity of 7 tons, and is flanked by a "three tonner" on the left, and a "four tonner" on the right.

AWW3 'Watching the forge fires fade  3-
'William Wallbank + Sons' 187 Parramatta Road'
2016 oil on canvas 51 x 71cm
Available

All of these ladles would date from at least 70 years ago.

They could even date from the earliest years of the foundry, as they are all rivetted, so they must date from a time before welding had replaced rivetting. 

Only the largest ladles were fitted with brakes to help modulate the flow of pouring the molten metal.

AWW4 'Rust Bucket' 7 ton ladle,
William Wallbank + Sons foundry 
2017 oil on canvas 122 x 91cm
PRIVATE COLLECTION : SYDNEY

I'm only able to gain access to paint in my strange new "studio" when the gates are opened to remove machinery, and I need to ring up on the night before.

Sometimes potential new owners come to inspect the premises, but they rarely stay for long.

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Illuminated manuscripts and stained glass windows- Painting the Dunlop - Slazenger factory Part 2

The graffiti inside the abandoned Dunlop - Slazenger factory reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite remember what it was.

'Abandoned Dunlop-Slazenger factory
Soda panorama' 2015
oil on canvas 91 x 183cm 
Enquiries

The walls are rich in texture, vibrant in colour and elaborate in detail.

They are possibly full of hidden meanings, incomprehensible to the uninitiated, or it could be just random doodling.

'Abandoned Dunlop-Slazenger factory
Soda panorama' 2015
oil on canvas 91 x 183cm 
Enquiries

The calligraphy is cursive and the chunky letters are interlocked like links in a chain, making the words hard to read yet hypnotic to look at.

'Abandoned Dunlop - Slazenger factory -
'Soda' panorama'  2015 
oil on canvas 91 x 183cm  
Enquiries

There is a "horror vacui" - blank space isn't tolerated and won't last long.
Images are scattered throughout the factory, but the text dominates and has become imagery in its own right.

'Abandoned Dunlop - Slazenger factory -
'Soda' panorama'  2015 
oil on canvas 91 x 183cm  
Enquiries

The letters are outlined in black, often with highlights of white or red on the ascenders (the parts of letters such as "h" "b" or "d" that extend above the line)  or descenders (the parts of letters such as "g" "q" or "j" that extend below the line).

Occasionally backgrounds of gold or silver add a bit more bling and some are even adorned with star bursts.

'Abandoned Dunlop - Slazenger factory -
'Soda' panorama'  2015 
oil on canvas 91 x 183cm

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John Paul, the demolisher who had given me the heads up about the site, finally nailed it.

The Book of Kells, he said. (John Paul is Irish!)

To be sure, to be sure!

 Detail of 'Abandoned Dunlop - Slazenger factory -
'Soda' panorama'  2015 
oil on canvas 91 x 183cm  
Enquiries

This is a close up of my painting of the graffiti on left hand wall, and you can see that John Paul really had a point.

In another context, I could easily imagine one of the letters as a historiated initial in a medieval illuminated manuscript.

A historiated initial is an enlarged letter at the beginning of a text, which contains a picture.

Detail of 'Abandoned Dunlop - Slazenger factory -
'Soda' panorama'  2015 
oil on canvas 91 x 183cm  
Enquiries

This is a closeup detail of my painting of the graffiti in one of the small rooms to the left hand side.

This font is dramatically serif (there is a large difference between thick and thin lines) and is extravagantly embellished with finials( tapered or curved ends), swashes (extended  decorative flourishes)and lachrymals (teardrop shapes).

 Detail of 'Abandoned Dunlop - Slazenger factory
'Soda' panorama'  2015  oil on canvas 91 x 183cm  
Enquiries 

Many different hands have been at work here, overlapping and adding marginalia, drolleries and the odd obscenity.

 "Soda" has been written in a more "slab serif" style, where there is less difference between thick and thin lines.

This tag stands out from its neighbours due to its cleaner font as well as its striking silver, black and pink colour scheme.

 Detail of windows in 'Abandoned Dunlop - Slazenger factory
- 'Soda' panorama'  2015 
oil on canvas 91 x 183cm  
Enquiries

And what could go better with illuminated manuscripts, than stained glass windows?

These windows are very stained indeed.

The graffiti is probably much older than on the walls, as they would have only been accessible when the building still had a roof, which was at least a couple of years ago.

There is no lead separating the colours, however, being a factory, the windows were made from glass strengthened by an internal diamond grid of wiremesh. Breaks in the glass add spiderweb patterns.

'Abandoned Dunlop - Slazenger factory -
 'Soda' panorama'   2015 
oil on canvas 91 x 183cm                                       
Enquiries  
At sunset the window colours are reflected on the ground in a series of rainbows, an effect I last experienced visiting Chartres cathedral.

Related posts

'Palimpsest - Painting Dunlop - Slazenger factory' Part 1