Friday 27 March 2009

Shards of a city - 5 of 5


Nothing beside remains, Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

From ... Ozymandias of Egypt by Percy Bysshe Shelley

The stones - "Memory is creation without End" by Kimio Tsuchiya - that I have featured all week and which I show in-situ today - were placed adjacent to the Cahill Expressway in the year 2000 as part of the Sydney Sculpture Walk for the Olympic Games. These blocks are relics from demolished buildings and structures. Each piece of stone testifies to lost function in the collective memory. Each symbolises the circular connection of past, present and future rededicated here by the artist. [paraphrased from the plaque]. However, there is a presence from the now hovering in this lush, green image.
Looking north, construction of the Cahill Expressway tunnel as an open trench slicing through and separating the Domain from the Royal Botanic Gardens, 1961
The idyllic greensward had been sliced open between 1955 and 1962 for the construction of the Cahill Expressway (see the sunset post last Friday) which can be seen snaking through this old photo, exiting top left. Much of the lush greenery in the top photo is but a thin layer atop a 6 lane motorway, the earth having been stripped of both soil and sandstone to complete Circular Quay during the 19th Century and to ease the way for the motor vehicle. In a city, not only are buildings being constantly razed but the very shape of the earth is being continually remoulded. Could it be that today's iconic buildings, are tomorrow's shards?

8 comments:

Jim said...

Great location shot Julie. All week, I've been wondering where these stones were located. I had no idea they were there. Very interesting.

Ann said...

Beautiful shot, love the composition. Have never really looked at those closely.

crocrodyl said...

Beautiful view! Great photo!

Virginia said...

Ahhhh now I see.
V

Unknown said...

You know I loved your detail shots but it's great to see the whole thing now. Wonderful!

cara said...

I love the pyramiddy thing in the background - it's in dramatic contrast to the stones.

Julie said...

Pyramiddy thing ... *chuckle* ...

Joan Elizabeth said...

Today I saw those for the first time ever! I was driving along the Cahill (as passenger) and thought to look at the view of the "Toaster" that you showed recently and noticed the shards ... vaguely remembered seeing the first of your shards shots before going away and thought ... oh that is where she got that shot. So see, you are making me look at my city more!

The shards series of photos are fabulous.