Anzac Station 2022

Summary

This painting capturing the construction of the brand new Anzac Station is a part of the Metro Tunnel Creative Project Donation received by the Art and Heritage Collection in 2023. The work was featured as a part of the exhibition 'Making the Metro Tunnel: Reflections by Contemporary Australian Artists' which took place at Domain House from 1 April - 7 May 2023.

Commissioned by the Metro Tunnel Creative Program, the exhibition sought to "explore and celebrate the construction milestones of the Metro Tunnel Project, which has been under construction for several years. The artists in this exhibition have taken inspiration from archaeological digs, heavy machinery, the aesthetics of worksites and worker's equipment to produce their own portrayals of the project." - quote from 'Making the Metro Tunnel' exhibition catalogue, 2023

"I have always been attracted to the ‘monumental’, having grown up on a farm in regional Victoria—trips to the city were filled with awe at the size and shapes of the urban environment. Upon the discovery of Pythagoras’s Mathematical String Harmonies, I became drawn to the pure maths of circles (tunnels) in rectangles (the canvas shape)—and the difficulty of painting it harmoniously.
A point of interest is the workers and the daylight in the painting—for three years I have not been using figures in my paintings and have only been painting the night.
There was an echo of something about the un-posed workers, mid work or conversation that spoke to me and I have created this smaller series on glass—not as studies—but in honour to the workers who are making the project happen." - Harley Manifold, quote from 'Making the Metro Tunnel' exhibition catalogue, 2023