“But these were modernist artists making important works. Bass was probably the leading public artist at the time. Most of his works sit as relief sculptures on the side of buildings, but this was the first major sculpture in Sydney to bite into the very skin of the architecture. It was a brave move.”
Bass’s copper fountain was carefully levered out in three parts, crated and placed in storage along with the Annand works at a metro storage depot.
‘They looked after it … until the time came for the artwork to be restored and reinstated, and I think they have done an amazing job.’
Margo Hoeskstra, widow of artist Tom Bass
The artist’s widow Margo Hoekstra, a sculptor in her own right, and adult children Belinda and Tim were consulted.
An initial condition report found signs of corrosion, material fatigue and marking, Macquarie Group’s Precinct Activation Director, Kate ffrench Blake said.
“None of the tubing linking the nozzles could be reused, and the original water tank was corroded,” she said. There was detailed discussion about how fast the water should flow in the restored fountain. A smart system was installed to control water pressure and filter for impurities.
The fountain’s copper surface was soda blasted, and a patina carefully applied to match the original. It was finished with several layers of protective wax.
Mikala Dwyer’s Continum.Credit: Steven Siewert
In all, restoration took three years from start to finish, before the fountain was installed just one block back at the same height the OZ magazine editors had found so convenient.
“We made a commitment to the family that it would be reinstated, and then worked closely with Sydney Metro to see that happen,” said ffrench Blake. “It’s an important work for Sydney and important that it restored and maintained for future generations.”
Hoekstra was present for the unveiling in June: “They were very sensitive about removing the old works in the P & O building,” she said.
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“They looked after it and they put them in storage until the time came for the artwork to be restored and reinstated, and I think they have done an amazing job. Good on them.”
Apart from the heritage pieces, One Elizabeth precinct three major works by Mikala Dwyer which include two visually arresting suspended sculptures and a large tiled mural; a three-part work by Debra Beale consisting of finely worked copper inlays depicting fauna native to the tank stream and surrounds; and a large wall sculpture, Magic Circle, by Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro.
Commissioned by Macquarie Group for the underground pedestrian tunnel, Tina Havelock Stevens’ tapestry of sound and light, Sonic Luminescence has proved a great hit with commuters.
Human-made sounds of steam trains, string instruments and singing can be heard, but also the land’s cultural heritage such as nature’s pre-colonial symphony of magpies, butcher birds, lyrebirds and owls.
Sydney Metro took its lead from London Underground and New York Subway to develop public artwork for all of its stations from Tallawong to Sydenham city link of the $21.6 billion railway.
Fenner said that internationally the provision of art had been found to make spaces safer and less prone to crime.
“People feel safer, and the art also fulfils a place-making role: ‘Meet you at the fountain’. People are already attracted to the new precinct as an art destination, and for commuters it provides a layer of cultural texture and a sense of belonging,” she said.
