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Lot Essay
In this remarkable industrial landscape John Wolseley constructs an epic narrative of the production of steel, from the discovery and mining of iron ore in the Pilbara to the alchemical process of smelting and the making of sheet steel. Wolseley takes inspiration from famous painters of the dramatic processes of industry such as Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797). Another reference point is William Bell Scott (1811-1890), the Pre-Raphaelite painter whose best-known work Iron and Coal (circa 1856-60) from his history of Northumberland at Wallington Hall, near Newcastle was commissioned by one of Wolseley's ancestors, Walter Calverley Trevelyan. As a child the artist visited Wallington and played beneath this work. Wolseley was commissioned by BHP to paint this work in 1993 and was given access to all aspects and location of the mining and production of iron ore products. As a multilayered work into which many stories are woven, the composition of the work is reminiscent of the continuous narrative paintings popular in Italy in the quattrocento. The drama of iron ore processing, for instance at Port Kembla, is depicted in a strip along the bottom of the work, while in the top right of the painting there are references to natural gas, shipping and transport industries.
Wolseley is well known for his use of scientific, geological and cartographical signs and systems in his paintings. There are many fine examples of this in this work. Set out as if in a museum display along the bottom of the work there are various important elements of the mining and metal processing story. On the right is depicted the Iron Ore plant which was one of the indicators used by Lang Hancock as he flew over the Pilbara searching for possible ore bodies. Other diagrams and images from old documents were unearthed by the artist in the BHP archives. Also included are studies of haematite and other minerals supplementary to the making of steel, like limestone. These specimens are guarded by one of the Dragon Lizards so numerous in the area. Various geological maps are depicted and on a mischievous note there is a vertical section showing the periods of geological time on which is inscribed a number of managing directors of the company shown standing on each other shoulders with the classical Greek words for 'care' 'cosmic responsibility' written underneath.
Wolseley is well known for his use of scientific, geological and cartographical signs and systems in his paintings. There are many fine examples of this in this work. Set out as if in a museum display along the bottom of the work there are various important elements of the mining and metal processing story. On the right is depicted the Iron Ore plant which was one of the indicators used by Lang Hancock as he flew over the Pilbara searching for possible ore bodies. Other diagrams and images from old documents were unearthed by the artist in the BHP archives. Also included are studies of haematite and other minerals supplementary to the making of steel, like limestone. These specimens are guarded by one of the Dragon Lizards so numerous in the area. Various geological maps are depicted and on a mischievous note there is a vertical section showing the periods of geological time on which is inscribed a number of managing directors of the company shown standing on each other shoulders with the classical Greek words for 'care' 'cosmic responsibility' written underneath.