Industrial Dispute (2014), re-purposed steel pipe, Robbie Rowlands
Down the end of a neat suburban street lined with post-war bungalows and well maintained shrubbery, hiding the view of the rail lines beyond, stands the towering neo-classical architecture of the Newport Substation; the silent witness to the gentrification of Melbourne’s inner west. Left derelict for 27 years after its closure in 1967, The Substation was restored through the vision of a few individuals and the effort of a community to reopen as a contemporary arts venue in 2008.
Built in 1915 for the purpose of electricity conversion, The Substation served a utilitarian purpose but was also an important landmark for the fledgling suburb of Newport. The present exhibition, Merchant City, makes reference to The Substation’s industrial past through the works of seven artists.
Curated by the centres’ Visual Arts and Public Programs Manager, Will Foster, the title is suggestive of the seafaring background of Hobsons Bay where The Substation is located and draws inspiration from the notions of trade and exchange. The artists examine contemporary society through the lenses of consumption, globalization and cultural appropriation.
Laura Delaney, a Melbourne-based artist juxtaposes social history with cultural and historical references. Piecework (2014) is one of many photographs, along with munitions parts and other memoriabilia on loan from The Living Museum of the West collection that explores the role of women in the munitions factories during World War ll. Objects are presented in dusty display cabinets while photographs lie in piles on the floor in various stages of deterioration. The viewer is challenged to question why this important part of women’s industrial heritage has not been maintained and become part of a permanent collection.
Industrial Dispute (2014) by Robbie Rowlands, a Melbourne based sculptor, explores the passing of time and transformation of objects in an environment through a re-mapped pipe running through the gallery. At one point the pipe collapses spring-like, creating something of intrigue and beauty before regaining its purpose of utility and continuing on through the building. Rowlands explores not only the ‘function’ of an object but its intrinsic beauty when viewed from a non-utilitarian perspective.
The English artist, writer and curator, Kit Wise, who moved to Australia in 2002 has created a high definition animation, Full Fathom Five (Cyclops) (2014), in conjunction with Monash University’s Evolutionary Ecology Group. The animation pulses silently, drawing the viewer into this strange and slightly unsettling ‘underwater city’ of introduced marine organisms in Port Philip Bay; an unseen parallel to the commercial trading route above.
Next door, the intoxicating scent of sandalwood incense burns alluringly in Assorted Censers (2014), part of an ongoing series of work by West Australian artist Michael Bullock as he explores the sandalwood trade in Western Australia. The piece consists of cast sheep bones, cups and saucers used for burning of agarbathi (sandalwood incense used in religious rituals in Asia).
This is a diverse show that engages the spectator on various levels. Some of the works are more immediately accessible than others, but don’t let this put you off. The Substation is well worth a visit but allow time to meander, contemplate the artwork and absorb the atmosphere of this iconic part of our industrial heritage.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Merchant City
With artworks by Michael Bullock, Zoe Croggon, Laura Delaney, Alex Head, Robbie Rowlands, Nick Selenitsch, Kit Wise.Curated by Will Foster
The Substation, Newport
www.thesubstation.org.au
28 March – 17 April
