Abandoned and Renewed is a new body of work by Sybil Curtis examining energy, fire and the industrial systems that have transformed the Australian landscape.
The exhibition considers the relationship between fire and energy, from the direct use of fire through the burning of wood and fossil fuels to the generation and distribution of electricity through networks of power lines across the landscape.
Fire is the product of energy produced by the sun. For thousands of years we used fire directly by burning wood and fossil fuels. Industrial societies have harnessed this energy by generating electricity and distributing it through a grid of power-lines which march across our landscapes.
My early paintings were often based on coal-fired power stations and heavy industry which were massive, sculptural and symbolized modernity. Today fossil fuels are being replaced by renewable wind and solar energy. The original infrastructure associated with coal-power generation is being repurposed or abandoned.
Most of the paintings in Abandoned and Renewed are based on the remnants of industrial infrastructure around Lithgow, west of the Blue Mountains. The old Blast Furnace is now a tourist attraction. And the site of Wallerawang Power Station is being redeveloped for multiple purposes including battery storage. One of its elegant cooling towers has been preserved for posterity.
All my paintings are constructs where different elements are combined to produce a coherent artwork. Abstract qualities are of prime importance.
Image: Sybil Curtis, The Damage is Done 2026, Oil on canvas, 90 x 120 cm
