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Public Art @ UNSW

A tour of the sculptures and public art in the UNSW Art Collection

Introduction

Sculpture has become an integral part of the landscape at UNSW since the first piece by Tom Bass was commissioned in 1955, by the founding Vice Chancellor, Sir Phillip Baxter.

Baxter recognised that the incorporation of art into the built environment is necessary to lift the spirit and humanise what could otherwise be a brutal and soulless place.  Public art, when successful, provides points for contemplation and by its very presence reminds a community of its cultural heritage.  It provokes dialogue which may be either scornful, admiring or non-committal, but with discussion comes ideas and an opening of minds - the very purpose of a university education.

The sculpture walk provides any visitor with an opportunity to share and experience the works of art within the campus.  An ongoing conservation and maintenance programme is in place to care for and protect the works so that they may be enjoyed by future generations.

Donations towards the upkeep or the acquisition of further pieces are gratefully appreciated.  They may be made through the UNSW Foundation and are tax deductible.  Click here for further information concerning donations.
 

AGSM LAWN (map ref. G27)

1.

James ROGERS

Born 1956, Australia

The bath 1990

Steel
215 x 91 x 46 cms
Purchased with funds from the U Committee, 1992

UNSW S 1992/0570

A purely abstract form of sculpture developed in the 1950s under the influence of the British sculptor, Anthony Caro at the St Martin's School of Art, London. It rejected the traditional narrative ideals of Henry Moore by replacing modelling, hand-carving and natural forms with abstracted constructions made by welding together ready-made elements of industrially produced steel.  The open spaces around the sculptural components were of the utmost importance and abstraction was the priority.

James Rogers' work displays this style's influence to a degree but he has not stayed religiously within its dictates.  The bath , though primarily an abstract composition, contains a narrative element in the curvilinear forms that suggest spraying water and convey the idea of a figure bathing.  The artist’s use of recycled steel, which carries evidence of a past life in its worn painted surfaces, provides the work with a ready-made patina.
 
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THE MICHAEL BIRT GARDENS (map ref. C23)

2.

Ron  ROBERTSON-SWANN    

Born 1941, Australia

North Down  1982

welded, painted steel
86.4 x 274 cms
Purchased with funds from the U Committee, 1991

UNSW S 1991/0587

Robertson-Swann was one of the first artists in Australia to adopt the Anthony Caro style, which he introduced to Australia after studying at the St Martins School of Art, London in 1962.

This style, which had begun to emerge during the 1950s, championed the idea that the open space around the sculptural components was more important than the solid form.  It rejected the traditional narrative ideals of Henry Moore   and replaced modelling, hand carving and natural forms with the welding together of ready-made elements of industrially produced steel.

Robertson-Swann’s work is refined and precise.  His use of a satin-finished automotive paint draws the components together so the eye does not rest on one particular element, but engages the whole without distraction. 

He prefers to maintain a vision of newness rather than allow a patina to develop.  Any visual distraction can be avoided by re-spraying when the paint is weathered to regain the pristine and ageless surface. 
 
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3.

Jock CLUTTERBUCK

 Born 1945, Australia

Parousia  1992

Cast, patinated bronze
245 x 250 x 95 cms
Commissioned with funds from the U Committee, 1992

UNSW S 1992/0626

Unlike Robertson-Swan's work where the juxtaposed planes carry the eye over and around the shaped surfaces, the linear components of Parousia determine the extent to which the eye moves inside and outside the sculpture, by articulating the inner void and defining the outer space.

The method used to cast Parousia had been pioneered by Bert Flugelman during the mid-1960s.  A full-size model was constructed from blocks of polystyrene that burnt out when the molten bronze was poured into the mould.  The surface was left unpolished, so the pattern of the polystyrene was retained, then the whole sculpture was patinated to imitate the weathering of an historic monument.
 
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4.

Patricia LAWRENCE    

Born 1930, Australia

Torso turning (1992)    1992

Cast bronze
170 x 116 x 140 cms
Purchased 1992

UNSW S 1993/0652

Lawrence, who studied under Tom Bass, is essentially a traditionalist in the choice of subject matter, materials and surface treatment for this work.  She relies heavily upon the figurative shaping of closed, solid form in the manner of Henry Moore, but her narrative is restricted to an abstract interpretation of the human body in motion. 

Torso turning contrasts markedly with the other two works in this precinct. It is an example of the sculptural form opposed by Robertson-Swann and of the conventional use of bronze abandoned by Clutterbuck.
 
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THE VICE CHANCELLOR’S GARDEN (map ref. C22)

5.

Augustine DALL’AVA

Born 1950,  France/Australia

Aspects from time 1981

Painted steel, stainless steel, river stones
210 x 503 x 60 cms
Commissioned with funds from the U Too Group and
the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council, 1981

UNSW S 1981/0144

Aspects from time was Augustine Dall’Ava's first public commission.
Over the years it has been subjected often to unwanted attention and the artist has suggested he was perhaps naive in making a public sculpture so potentially interactive!

The manufactured mild steel “screens” and stainless steel rods combine with found objects, both man-made and natural (including an anvil, a clock weight and river stones) to produce a work of mystery and metaphor which positions itself somewhere between the abstract and the narrative.

Dall’Ava selected the original location at the end of the Anzac Parade walkway in 1980, but the work was re-sited in 1997 to make way for the extended Mall.  The new position, in the Japanese-style Vice-Chancellor’s Garden, seems far more appropriate to the sculpture’s Zen-like qualities.
 
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Tom Bass
*

MORVEN BROWN COURTYARD  (map ref. C20)

6.

Tom BASS    

Born 1916, Australia

Joseph Ormand Aloysius Bourke,
first Bursar of the University  1966

cast bronze relief
30 x 24 cms
Commissioned 1965

UNSW S 1966/0240

This fountain was commissioned in memory of Joseph Bourke who actively supported the acquisition of Australian works of art for the University. 

It was designed by Peter Spooner, in collaboration with the artist, Tom Bass.  Spooner was an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture who became the consulting landscape architect for the University during the 1960s. 

Tom Bass produced the bronze relief portrait of Bourke, which is mounted on the central standing stone behind the pool.  A stand of bamboo was originally planted behind the stones but in later years it took over the pool as well.   The whole fountain was refurbished and the pool was reinstated in 1995. 
 
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GOLDSTEIN COURTYARD  (map ref. C16)

7.

Bert FLUGELMAN

Born 1923, Austria/Australia

Untitled six figure group   1965

cast bronze
240 x 432 x 59 cms
Commissioned 1964

UNSW S 1965/0570

When the artist presented the maquette of this work to Professor Phillip Baxter for approval, the Vice Chancellor smiled and remarked “I know every one of them, and the one in the centre is me.”*

Flugelman produced this sculpture using a method that was revolutionary in Australia at the time.  Huge slabs of polyurethane were carved with a hot wire then directly cast in bronze, using a process similar to the lost wax method.  Each figure was cast individually then all six were welded together.

Instead of finishing with a traditional polished surface the artist chose to leave the work in a roughened state. The innovative approach to the material resulted in an honest brutalism that suited the (then) raw concrete façade of Goldstein Hall.

The sculpture was repaired, cleaned and conserved; the pool was reinstated (having been filled and turned into a garden for years) and the courtyard was re-landscaped in 1999/2000.

*Bert Flugelman in conversation with the UNSW Art Curator, June 1998
 
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INTERNATIONAL SQUARE     (map ref. H17)

8.

Bronwyn OLIVER     

Born 1959, Australia

Globe 2002

Brazed marine grade copper alloy
3m diameter
Commissioned with the assistance of the U Committee, 2001

UNSW S 2002/094

It is most appropriate the winning entry in the 2001 UNSW Sculpture Commission Competition for International Square is titled Globe.  Located at the commencement of the grand processional approach to The Scientia, which crowns the longitudinal axis of the Broadwalk and The Mall, the sculpture formally completes the landscaping. 

The artist drew inspiration from both the natural plantings and the architectural geometry of the surrounding environment to propose a simple yet powerful statement for the site. An appealing tension has been introduced to the entire precinct by the gravitational pull to earth and circular movement of the sphere against the soaring lift of The Scientia’s glass wings. 

The sculpture was created using marine grade copper alloy rods brazed into position over a mould, following an interlocking vein structure that creates a spiralling effect from pole to pole. The sense of movement continues as the viewer passes and the opposing sides revolve against one another, suggesting a gentle rotation and truly, a globe for International Square.

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THE CHANCELLOR’S COURT  (map ref. J15)

9.

Tom BASS     

Born 1916, Australia

Fountain figure 1959

electrolytic copper
72 x 186 x 87 cms
Commissioned 1959

UNSW S 1960/0266

Within the peaceful Chancellor’s Court is a second work by Tom Bass who once said he devoted most of his life to public art commissions because, for him, “sculpture made for personal reasons is much less satisfying”*.  

This piece is perhaps the most popular in the University Collection.  A single reclining nude, face turned to the sun, dreamily rests on one elbow beside a small pool while water trickles from her outstretched hand into a bronze dish.  More than any other work in the Collection this piece typifies the Romantic narrative and the traditional idea of sculpture.

The figure is made of electrolytic copper on a bronze armature, so it is not as solid nor as robust as it appears. 

This restful location also contains the scattered ashes of former Chancellor, Wallace Charles Wurth.

*Interview with Tom Bass, SMOCM Monumental Vol 3, March 1998
 
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MAIN BUILDING   (map ref. K15)

10.

Tom BASS     

Born 1916, Australia

The falconer  1955

Electrolytic copper
1054 x 426 cms
Commissioned c. 1953

UNSW S 1955/0267

The falconer was the first work of art commissioned by the University for placement on its first permanent building.   Public commissions on this scale were rare, except in the case of war memorials, in the years after World War II, so it was an exciting time for an artist to be involved in bringing art to public places.

It was originally intended to name the new institution, The University of Technology.  Tom Bass suggested his sculpture could express the idea that the new University had a far wider vision than simply that of technology.  This was precisely the idea Professor Phillip Baxter, the first Vice-Chancellor, had in mind as he was worried about the connotations of the proposed name.

Bass found his inspiration for the work in Herbert Read’s poem The Falcon and the Dove.  As an analogy for the conflict between the value of beauty and the unrestrained function of the intellect, it offered powerful images. 

Before the sculpture was installed the University’s name was changed to the University of NSW, but the significance of the piece was unaffected.  
 
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THE DALTON BUILDING   (map ref. G12)

11.

Douglass ANNAND    

1903-1976, Australia

Untitled  1958

Glass mosaic tiles
four exterior panels: 367.5 x 568 cms
one interior panel: 500 x 1311 cms
Commissioned 1958

UNSW DA 1958/0588

Douglass Annand was a graphic designer, painter, illustrator and sculptor.  Some of his major commissions include the massive mural for Wilson Hall at the University of Melbourne, the Celestial Comet wall at Sydney International Airport, the aquatic mural for the ex-P&O Liner House and the constellation mural at Mobil House, Melbourne.  Annand won the Sir John Sulman Award for his work in 1941, 1947 and 1951.

The mosaics on the exterior and interior walls of the Dalton Building are some of the last examples of 1950s architectural decoration remaining in Sydney, where the majority of buildings from this era have been torn down.
It is, therefore, extremely fortunate that these panels are now included in the Distributed National Collection's Australian Inventory of Outdoor Sculptures, Monuments and Cultural Material (1995). 

After standing for many years open to the elements as part of the Dalton undercroft these important mosaics were conserved and restored in 1998.  The undercroft area was also converted at the time and the mosaics are now appreciated as a distinctive feature of a popular lower campus café.
 
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ANZAC PARADE GATE   (map ref. H5)

12.

Ann FERGUSON    

Born 1939 Australia

Waterfall 1977

Tarana granite
190 x 67 cms
Carved in situ at the  northern side of Anzac Parade gate
and presented by the artist, 1977
Relocated due to the redesign of The Mall, 1998

UNSW S 1977/0024

Anne Ferguson donated her time and the two-tonne piece of Tarana granite to the University in order to create a work in situ during 1976-77, and to provide staff and students with the opportunity to see an artist at work.

The work was relocated from the northern to the southern side of the walkway in 1998 due to the redesign of The Mall.

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* Click to view full image

THE POOL LAWN   (map ref. C4)

13.

Geoffrey IRELAND   

Born 1948, Australia

The bridge  1981

Welded, stainless steel
187 x 596 x 276 cms

Commissioned  by the Monomeeth Association upon the retirement of Prof. Sir Rupert Myers (Vice-Chancellor and Principal 1969-1981) with assistance from the Visual Art Board of the Australia Council, 1981

Re-located in 1997 to the Pool Lawn from Library Road due to the construction of The Scientia.

UNSW S 1982/0112

Traditionally sculpture has been placed on a single plane and generally on a flat surface.  Ireland chose to challenge this placement by creating a work requiring a sloping site so that it would emerge from the slope and move downwards, involving itself with the landscape.

The bridge was originally sited on a grassy embankment on Library Road outside the Electrical Engineering Building.  The construction of The Scientia necessitated the sculpture’s removal in 1997.  Though site-specific works can be difficult to relocate, this was not the case for The bridge.  When the artist was asked to approve the new location on the Pool Lawn, he confided that it had been his first choice in 1981 when the sculpture was commissioned.
 
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