A Portrait of the Artist as an Industrial Citizen
“Once upon a time and a very good time it was”¹, industry flourished in Queensland. And, perhaps unexpectedly, so did art.
When thinking of inspirational sources for artists, industry is not the first thing that comes to mind. Smoke and pollution, gears and technologies, machines and construction sites – these are not on average the scenes one would expect an artist to investigate as topics for creativity. Yet the muses are exceptionally adaptable, as are their protégés.
During the Industrial Revolution of the 1800’s, many artists deliberately turned their backs on industry, preferring more Romantic themes like the unadulterated land or sea. Others embraced industry as a new source of theme and inspiration. British painter William Turner was not going to spurn or scorn the new technology, no matter how it intruded on the traditional landscapes². His lifespan (1775-1851) ran more or less parallel to that of the Industrial Revolution and, being fascinated with light and atmosphere, he with great success incorporated the new scenes afforded by industry into his own work. His painting Rain, Steam and Speed: The Great Western Railway was completed in 1844 and unexpectedly connected Romanticism to the essence of industry – steam, speed, machines³.
Turner was not the only painter intrigued by trains. Impressionism’s equal fascination with light spurred Claude Monet to paint the Saint-Lazare Railway station again and again. It seems as if the hard metallic structures of buildings and trains, coupled with the transparent glass roof, the smoke and the steam fascinated him4. The same railway station features in Edouard Manet’s painting The Railway (1873), although the only evidence of a train is visible as a plume of smoke in the background. In Germany, Adolf von Menzel (1815-1905) concentrated on the impact of industrialism on human society, e.g. in The Iron Rolling Mill, depicting the harsh life of an industrial steel worker5.
Cubism’s Gino Severini (1883-1966) added another train (Red Cross Train) and Fernand Léger (1881-1955) a whole menagerie of industrial scenes and workers, while Francis Picabia (1879-1953) was inspired by Cubism as a means of representing the mechanistic qualities of the modern, industrialised world.6 In sculpture it was Jacob Epstein, among others, who evoked the influence of industry with his massive work “The Rock Drill”.
The American art movement known as Precisionism is perhaps the only movement as such which thematically shows significant industrial influence. Combining the influences of Cubism and the increasing industrialisation of North America8, artists like Charles Sheeler, Charles Demuth and Georgia O’Keefe painted the new cityscape of buildings and industry in a style characterised by “geometric forms and well-defined lines”8, yet also achieving a definitive spirituality.
Since the arrival of steam and speed, machinery and artificial light, industry has literally sky-rocketed. And because any environment – industry just as much as nature – can serve as inspiration for artists, there has been no shortage of inspiring scenery. In a city like Gladstone, still riding on the wave of Queensland’s resource boom, it is no different. Sometimes all it takes is a different perspective.
The aluminium smelter of Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) may seem like an eyesore when seen on the horizon of Gladstone’s coast, but viewed from the air, it becomes a painting. Several local artists have chosen to look past the environmental and greater landscape impact, to see the confined colours and patterns converging into art.
The siting of such a large industry on the same map, so to speak, as the Great Barrier Reef, was what stimulated artist Margaret Worthington to explore industry for her Master’s Degree in Art. Aerial photographs by Alan Andrew served as source material, but extended visits to the QAL site further informed the project. Using the product of this industry, i.e. aluminium, as a material for her sculptures, narrowed the gap between industry and art even further. Her 2013 exhibition at the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum, titled “Industry Sited in the Environment”, was aimed at “creating a discourse where the workers and the audience are able to respond to the site within a different context”9.
The logo of the Art Gallery and Museum was itself inspired by an aerial photograph of the area, industries and all.
Industry’s sponsorship of competitions and events arguably has just as much impact on art as any visual stimulation. In 2012 the Gladstone Ports Corporation held its third Paint the Port Art Competition. This is the culmination of artists attending an Open Day, to experience the port and the industries it supports. And as the GPC puts it: “The competition is designed to capture and celebrate, through art, our port and its many facets including our magnificent harbour, coal-handling facilities, developments and our beautiful Marina parklands.”10 Celebrating coal-handling facilities through art – now there is some bizarre inspiration.
The annual Rio Tinto Alcan Martin Hanson Art Awards held in Gladstone is another example of industry’s support for the arts. Besides the main sponsors, industry is involved through sponsorship by Queensland Energy Resources, Australia Pacific LNG, the Gladstone Ports Corporation and a handful of others. While there used to be an expectation that contributions to this competition should have an industrial theme, this has changed and artists consider it unbiased in this sense. In general, they feel that it asks for art works of a high standard. Industry is not blackmailing artists into creating propaganda.
Indeed, art need not be pro-industry. It can have a critical say in industry and a very important one. Some artists see it as a duty, a challenge. The artist, being the conscience of society, has to be a prophet, speaking out against industry when it oversteps the mark.11
Margaret Worthington thinks it is more complex. Her exhibition was not necessarily prompted by an idea that industry is either good or bad. The subject of whether art is obliged to comment on industry remains a very contentious subject, with no straight or easy answer.12
It would be foolish, however, to think artists can just stand around waiting for a hand-out from big business. There has to be some pro-active engagement on the side of the artists, without grovelling, for the symbiotic relationship to have a chance of flourishing.
A fledgling initiative by local artists is the recent display of art works at Gladstone Regional Library, with industry as theme. From their side, then, the artists are hoping to get companies involved, whether in buying art work for their premises, commissioning pieces or through sponsorships and grants.
At a more grassroots level, industry has changed the way in which ordinary Gladstone residents relate to art. The big construction projects on Curtis Island have brought a great number of temporary workers from all parts of Australia and the world. Often, it is the husband who gets the job and the wife who tags along. With few other opportunities for recreation, these wives turn to art. In one art class in Gladstone the majority of students are wives of construction workers.13
The industrial environment seems however to have a negligible effect on art classes in the sense of themes suggested or material used, unless there is a specific competition being run. Then art students may choose to focus on industry as topic or source of inspiration.
There is however a more positive attitude towards art in schools and they are doing more art classes than before. Whether this is a case of art affecting industry or industry affecting art, or due to another factor altogether, is unclear.
What is true, though, is that the artists, finding themselves in an industrial environment, are not letting themselves be disadvantaged by that fact. Whether they turn from the industrial landscape seeking comfort in the adjacent inspiration of nature or embrace the unconventional scenery, art they will continue to make.
The coexistence of art and industry, like that of the environment and industry, is a fact of modern life. That they can and do interact in a mostly positive relationship must be seen as valuable for both sides.
1. Joyce, James. 1988. Opening line of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, p.7. Paladin, London.
2. Hirsh, Diana et al. 1973. The World of Turner, p.142. TIME-LIFE International, USA.
3. Farthing, Stephen (ed.). 2010. Art. The Whole Story, p.267. Thames & Hudson, London.
4. Marceau, Jo (ed.). 1997. Art. A World History, p.482. Dorling Kindersley, London.
5. ibid, p.475.
6. www.theartstory.org/artist-picabia-francis.htm accessed on 22 May 2014.
7. www.artcyclopedia.com/history/precisionism.html accessed on 19 May 2014.
8. Farthing, Stephen (ed.). Art. The Whole Story, p.365.
9. Worthington, Margaret. 2013. Industry Sited within the Environment, contextual paper for MA degree.
10. Gladstone Ports Corporation Media Release, 9 May 2012. Local artists are invited to Paint the Port.
11. Irene Sparks, Gladstone artist and art teacher, personal communication, April 2014.
12. Margaret Worthington, personal communication, May 2014.
13. Irene Sparks, personal communication, April 2014.
© Ilse van Staden 2014
When thinking of inspirational sources for artists, industry is not the first thing that comes to mind. Smoke and pollution, gears and technologies, machines and construction sites – these are not on average the scenes one would expect an artist to investigate as topics for creativity. Yet the muses are exceptionally adaptable, as are their protégés.
During the Industrial Revolution of the 1800’s, many artists deliberately turned their backs on industry, preferring more Romantic themes like the unadulterated land or sea. Others embraced industry as a new source of theme and inspiration. British painter William Turner was not going to spurn or scorn the new technology, no matter how it intruded on the traditional landscapes². His lifespan (1775-1851) ran more or less parallel to that of the Industrial Revolution and, being fascinated with light and atmosphere, he with great success incorporated the new scenes afforded by industry into his own work. His painting Rain, Steam and Speed: The Great Western Railway was completed in 1844 and unexpectedly connected Romanticism to the essence of industry – steam, speed, machines³.
Turner was not the only painter intrigued by trains. Impressionism’s equal fascination with light spurred Claude Monet to paint the Saint-Lazare Railway station again and again. It seems as if the hard metallic structures of buildings and trains, coupled with the transparent glass roof, the smoke and the steam fascinated him4. The same railway station features in Edouard Manet’s painting The Railway (1873), although the only evidence of a train is visible as a plume of smoke in the background. In Germany, Adolf von Menzel (1815-1905) concentrated on the impact of industrialism on human society, e.g. in The Iron Rolling Mill, depicting the harsh life of an industrial steel worker5.
Cubism’s Gino Severini (1883-1966) added another train (Red Cross Train) and Fernand Léger (1881-1955) a whole menagerie of industrial scenes and workers, while Francis Picabia (1879-1953) was inspired by Cubism as a means of representing the mechanistic qualities of the modern, industrialised world.6 In sculpture it was Jacob Epstein, among others, who evoked the influence of industry with his massive work “The Rock Drill”.
The American art movement known as Precisionism is perhaps the only movement as such which thematically shows significant industrial influence. Combining the influences of Cubism and the increasing industrialisation of North America8, artists like Charles Sheeler, Charles Demuth and Georgia O’Keefe painted the new cityscape of buildings and industry in a style characterised by “geometric forms and well-defined lines”8, yet also achieving a definitive spirituality.
Since the arrival of steam and speed, machinery and artificial light, industry has literally sky-rocketed. And because any environment – industry just as much as nature – can serve as inspiration for artists, there has been no shortage of inspiring scenery. In a city like Gladstone, still riding on the wave of Queensland’s resource boom, it is no different. Sometimes all it takes is a different perspective.
The aluminium smelter of Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) may seem like an eyesore when seen on the horizon of Gladstone’s coast, but viewed from the air, it becomes a painting. Several local artists have chosen to look past the environmental and greater landscape impact, to see the confined colours and patterns converging into art.
The siting of such a large industry on the same map, so to speak, as the Great Barrier Reef, was what stimulated artist Margaret Worthington to explore industry for her Master’s Degree in Art. Aerial photographs by Alan Andrew served as source material, but extended visits to the QAL site further informed the project. Using the product of this industry, i.e. aluminium, as a material for her sculptures, narrowed the gap between industry and art even further. Her 2013 exhibition at the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum, titled “Industry Sited in the Environment”, was aimed at “creating a discourse where the workers and the audience are able to respond to the site within a different context”9.
The logo of the Art Gallery and Museum was itself inspired by an aerial photograph of the area, industries and all.
Industry’s sponsorship of competitions and events arguably has just as much impact on art as any visual stimulation. In 2012 the Gladstone Ports Corporation held its third Paint the Port Art Competition. This is the culmination of artists attending an Open Day, to experience the port and the industries it supports. And as the GPC puts it: “The competition is designed to capture and celebrate, through art, our port and its many facets including our magnificent harbour, coal-handling facilities, developments and our beautiful Marina parklands.”10 Celebrating coal-handling facilities through art – now there is some bizarre inspiration.
The annual Rio Tinto Alcan Martin Hanson Art Awards held in Gladstone is another example of industry’s support for the arts. Besides the main sponsors, industry is involved through sponsorship by Queensland Energy Resources, Australia Pacific LNG, the Gladstone Ports Corporation and a handful of others. While there used to be an expectation that contributions to this competition should have an industrial theme, this has changed and artists consider it unbiased in this sense. In general, they feel that it asks for art works of a high standard. Industry is not blackmailing artists into creating propaganda.
Indeed, art need not be pro-industry. It can have a critical say in industry and a very important one. Some artists see it as a duty, a challenge. The artist, being the conscience of society, has to be a prophet, speaking out against industry when it oversteps the mark.11
Margaret Worthington thinks it is more complex. Her exhibition was not necessarily prompted by an idea that industry is either good or bad. The subject of whether art is obliged to comment on industry remains a very contentious subject, with no straight or easy answer.12
It would be foolish, however, to think artists can just stand around waiting for a hand-out from big business. There has to be some pro-active engagement on the side of the artists, without grovelling, for the symbiotic relationship to have a chance of flourishing.
A fledgling initiative by local artists is the recent display of art works at Gladstone Regional Library, with industry as theme. From their side, then, the artists are hoping to get companies involved, whether in buying art work for their premises, commissioning pieces or through sponsorships and grants.
At a more grassroots level, industry has changed the way in which ordinary Gladstone residents relate to art. The big construction projects on Curtis Island have brought a great number of temporary workers from all parts of Australia and the world. Often, it is the husband who gets the job and the wife who tags along. With few other opportunities for recreation, these wives turn to art. In one art class in Gladstone the majority of students are wives of construction workers.13
The industrial environment seems however to have a negligible effect on art classes in the sense of themes suggested or material used, unless there is a specific competition being run. Then art students may choose to focus on industry as topic or source of inspiration.
There is however a more positive attitude towards art in schools and they are doing more art classes than before. Whether this is a case of art affecting industry or industry affecting art, or due to another factor altogether, is unclear.
What is true, though, is that the artists, finding themselves in an industrial environment, are not letting themselves be disadvantaged by that fact. Whether they turn from the industrial landscape seeking comfort in the adjacent inspiration of nature or embrace the unconventional scenery, art they will continue to make.
The coexistence of art and industry, like that of the environment and industry, is a fact of modern life. That they can and do interact in a mostly positive relationship must be seen as valuable for both sides.
1. Joyce, James. 1988. Opening line of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, p.7. Paladin, London.
2. Hirsh, Diana et al. 1973. The World of Turner, p.142. TIME-LIFE International, USA.
3. Farthing, Stephen (ed.). 2010. Art. The Whole Story, p.267. Thames & Hudson, London.
4. Marceau, Jo (ed.). 1997. Art. A World History, p.482. Dorling Kindersley, London.
5. ibid, p.475.
6. www.theartstory.org/artist-picabia-francis.htm accessed on 22 May 2014.
7. www.artcyclopedia.com/history/precisionism.html accessed on 19 May 2014.
8. Farthing, Stephen (ed.). Art. The Whole Story, p.365.
9. Worthington, Margaret. 2013. Industry Sited within the Environment, contextual paper for MA degree.
10. Gladstone Ports Corporation Media Release, 9 May 2012. Local artists are invited to Paint the Port.
11. Irene Sparks, Gladstone artist and art teacher, personal communication, April 2014.
12. Margaret Worthington, personal communication, May 2014.
13. Irene Sparks, personal communication, April 2014.
© Ilse van Staden 2014
