Twin exhibitions in Muswellbrook and Singleton will display the works of 16 artists invited to respond creatively to the closure and decommissioning of the Liddell power station.
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The "in-residence" program formed part of LiddellWORKS - an innovative partnership between Arts Upper Hunter (AUH) and Liddell's owner AGL.
The selected artists, from across the Hunter and beyond, entered the power station site in its last days with the retired coal-fired generator becoming the model, the muse, the subject, the theme, and parts of it were even incorporated into artworks. In creating their remarkable pieces, the artists sought to record Liddell's transformation and honour the legacy of its people.
Liddell generated power for more than half a century until its closure in April last year.
The exhibitions run at Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre from Thursday 6 June until Wednesday 25 August and Singleton Arts Cultural Centre from Saturday 8 June until Sunday 11 August.
Two venues means two opening events, both of which are free. The first is on Saturday 8 June at Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre from 4pm and the second at Singleton Arts Cultural Centre on Friday 14 June from 6pm.
The opening events provide an opportunity to meet the artists and the people behind the ambitious creative program responding to its closure.
The artists' residency extended to the before-and-after, and they created works across a range of artforms including sound installation, pottery, 3D video recording, portraiture, large-scale photography, sculpture, blacksmithing, and wearable art. Visitors to the exhibitions will experience exciting displays.
The artists drew inspiration from the vast industrial space and Liddell's people. Once in residence, it didn't take long for camera clicks to replace workplace clang and clank. Fossil fuels fired up a forge instead of a turbine, "industrial" and "technical" music replaced the melody of generating megawatts, and brush strokes on canvas were painting a different picture of the imposing legacy of the industrial revolution.
Lochinvar master blacksmith, sculptor, and artist Will Maguire also ran workshops with Liddell employees, and they created artworks using metal scraps from the site. Muswellbrook Council together with AUH has also commissioned him to create an illuminated bench seat sculpture for the town.
Many artists had family connections to Liddell. Sydney-based Todd Fuller was one, his father having worked at Liddell for decades. As you would expect, he engaged directly with the workforce and produced a series of 30 portraits while interviewing his subjects as they told him their stories.