Summary
Artist Statement
In 1984, following a residency at the Australia Council’s studio in Greene Street, New York, I returned to Melbourne and found a studio in Hardware Lane. After 18 months, I moved to Guilford Lane, where I occupied the top floor of a large warehouse. The city was much quieter then, with only a few permanent residents; at night, it was like a ghost town.
It was in this studio that I painted ‘Construction of the New Freeway Over South Melbourne’ (1987). At the time, I was spending time in the company of Mark Schaller (another Roar Studios founding member), who had a studio in Richmond. I travelled frequently between studios, often via Kings Way or the old Swan Street route. On these trips, I saw the building of the new freeway and was inspired to paint the tale. I remember all the heavy road equipment and the road workers, a hive of activity trying to complete what was then such a mammoth task. All the angles of concrete and the multitude of activities called for a large and expansive work.
At that time, we artists were often using marine ply or other hardboards to work large scale to spare the expense of canvas and stretchers. I was, and have always been, inspired to paint my surroundings, particularly people doing regular jobs. This painting was a part of a city series inspired by this theme, which was shown at Realities Gallery in Toorak in 1988. Works included ‘The Hardware Shop’, ‘The Barber Shop’, ‘Businessmen Going to Work’, ‘The Court Painting’ and two paintings inspired by Camparis restaurant in Hardware Lane.
John Buckley bought the work and it remained in his collection until entering the Art and Heritage Collection.
Sarah Faulkner, March 2011
