In their wake, distinguished Indigenous artist, Gordon
Syron, will be evicted to build a multi-million dollar development of apartment
blocks as tall as the nearby former TNT towers. The status of Mr Syron’s lease
is unclear, but he has done nothing wrong.
He was provided with a large, leaky shed which he repaired
himself, an allowance, now revoked, and a computer with no PIN which fails to
function. He is preparing a dossier of the magnificent stories behind the 1300
art works he is curating on site.
Mr Syron’s most famous 1978 work, ‘Judgement of his peers’,
for which he was recently offered (but refused) $1.5 million, leans casually
and forlornly on a kitchen table in the cavernous tin shed. Gordon Syron’s work
is important to Indigenous and Australian culture.
Frank Sartor is
drunk with power: he is carving up this heritage site like a charcoal chicken,
unlike the University
of Sydney’s plans which
respect heritage values and honour open spaces.
Frank Sartor,
also the NSW Minister for the Arts, should provide a more appropriate facility
and upgrade the Mr Syron’s current facility to acceptable standards of security
and art conservation practices.
Andrew Woodhouse
President
Australian Heritage Institute Inc
3 McDonald
Street Potts Point
Source:
South Sydney Herald August 2008 www.southsydneyherald.com.au