Recommendation of the Executive Director and assessment of cultural heritage significance under s.32 of the Heritage Act 1995

Name Forward Surge Location 100 ST KILDA ROAD, SOUTHBANK, CITY Provisional VHR Number PROV H2378 Provisional VHR Categor(ies) Place Hermes Number 5097 Heritage Overlay , HO760 (part of Victorian Arts Centre, 2-128 St. Kilda Road, 1-9 Sturt Street & 93-115 Southbank Road, Southbank) VHR numbers (overlaps) H1500 VICTORIAN ARTS CENTRE H2359 ST KILDA ROAD

Forward Surge (September, 2017)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATION TO THE HERITAGE COUNCIL: • That Forward Surge be included as a Heritage Place in the Victorian Heritage Register under the Heritage Act 1995 [Section 32 (1)(a)].

STEVEN AVERY Executive Director Recommendation Date: 22 September 2017 This recommendation report has been issued by the Executive Director, Heritage under s.32 of the Heritage Act 1995. It has not been considered or endorsed by the Heritage Council of Victoria.

Name: Forward Surge 1 Hermes Number: 5097

EXTENT OF NOMINATION

Date that the nomination was accepted by the Executive Director 22 February 2016

Written extent of nomination The classification covers the artwork including its foundations (see extent diagram below). The work rises 5.16 metres above ground and each of the four steel ‘blades’ or elements measures 7 metres across. They are set into concrete foundations covered with bluestone pavers; the upper surface area of the base measures 15.14 x 13.68 metres. Each of the four steel blades weighs approximately six tonnes.

As Forward Surge is the primary feature of the lawn that separates Hamer Hall from the Theatres Building, its curtilage should be understood to include the entire lawns bounded to the east by a covered walkway and to the west by a low wall and hedge.

Nomination extent diagram

Is the extent of nomination the same as the recommended extent? Yes.

Name: Forward Surge 2 Hermes Number: 5097

RECOMMENDED REGISTRATION

All of the place shown hatched on Diagram 2378 encompassing parts of Crown Allotments 3C, 13F, 2047, 2341 and 2342, , Parish of Melbourne South.

The extent of registration of Forward Surge in the Victorian Heritage Register affects the whole place shown on Diagram 2378 including the , land, landscape elements and other features.

RATIONALE FOR EXTENT Forward Surge was selected by to visually link the two main performance spaces in the Victorian Arts Centre precinct – Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building. Hamer Hall is located on the site of the former Snowden Park. During the development of the Arts Centre, the City of Melbourne permitted the loss of this park providing that an equivalent “verdant space” was created to replace it. The Arts Centre Lawn was created to fulfil this condition. The whole of the Arts Centre Lawn between Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building has therefore been included in the recommended extent of registration.

This registration overlaps one existing registration - St Kilda Road (VHR H2359). Neither Forward Surge nor the Arts Centre Lawn are specified in the extent of registration of this place. The Victorian Arts Centre buildings (VHR H1500 - Hamer Hall and the Theatres building), and the National Gallery of Victoria (VHR H1499) are included in the Victorian Heritage Register, but as places without any land. The recommended registration of Forward Surge and the Arts Centre Lawn would be the first parcel of land in the Arts Centre Precinct to be included in the Victorian Heritage Register. It is intended to review the extent of registration of the remainder of the Victorian Arts Centre in the future.

Forward Surge was intended to be visible from St Kilda Road, and one of ’s aims was to make a sculpture which could be appreciated from a moving car. The covered walkway (added just after Roy Grounds retired from the project) significantly blocks the view of the sculpture from St Kilda Road. Roy Grounds and Inge King intended the sculpture to be visible. Therefore, the covered walkway, which is also part of St Kilda Road (VHR H2359), has been included in the recommended extent of registration of Forward Surge. This is so that if there is ever a proposal to remove, replace or alter the walkway, the permit mechanism in the Heritage Act could ensure that the new structure was designed allow an uninterrupted view of Forward Surge.

Name: Forward Surge 3 Hermes Number: 5097

AERIAL PHOTO OF THE PLACE SHOWING PROPOSED REGISTRATION

Name: Forward Surge 4 Hermes Number: 5097

STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE

WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT? Forward Surge, a monumental public sculpture made by renowned Australian sculptor Inge King (1915-2016) and its setting on the Arts Centre Lawn. The sculpture is made from fabricated steel, painted black, set into concrete foundations and surrounded by bluestone pavers and a large green lawn with concrete edged garden beds. The sculpture comprises four upright curved steel `blades' that appear to roll northwards and it visually links the two main performance spaces in the Victorian Arts Centre precinct. The Arts Centre Lawn is the setting both for the sculpture and extensive public use.

History Summary Forward Surge was installed on the Victorian Arts Centre Lawn in 1981. Sculptor Inge King made the maquette before receiving the commission to enlarge it from the architect, Roy Grounds, in 1973. Inge King had at that time reached the full maturity of her creative powers and Forward Surge is widely considered her most important work. She always envisaged that the work would suit a public plaza and, when the work was commissioned, the Victorian Arts Centre Lawn proved to be an ideal location that matched the intentions of the artist and architect. Hamer Hall is located on the site of the former site Snowden Park. The City of Melbourne permitted the loss of this park providing an equivalent “verdant space” was created to replace it. The Arts Centre Lawn was created to fulfil this condition.

Description Summary Forward Surge is an imposing work of sculpture on a monumental scale. It consists of four reinforced, hollow steel ‘waves’ which are painted black. The work rises 5.16 metres above ground and each of the four steel `waves' or elements measures 7 metres across and weighs approximately six tonnes. It is an entirely abstract sculpture where the artist has created a series of waves rolling towards the city that would also encourage people to physically move about the space, exploring and engaging with the work at a bodily level. The sculpture was also designed to be appreciated from a moving car. The ‘waves’ are set into a concrete plinth covered with earth and bluestone pavers; the paved area measures 15.14 x 13.68 metres. The paved bluestone base is surrounded by the extensive, green Arts Centre Lawn with Hamer Hall at the northern end and the Theatres Building at the southern. The eastern boundary of the site is St Kilda Road and the western is the edge of the bridge over Sturt Street. The lawn covers part of the roof of the Arts Centre and the bridge over City Road, Sturt Street and Southgate Avenue. Because of the height of the bridge and the necessarily shallow depth of soil, grass was the only possible planting for most of the area, except for the northern edge next to Hamer Hall where taller trees can be planted in the deeper soil.

Traditional owners/Registered Aboriginal Parties This site is part of the traditional land of the Kulin Nation.

HOW IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Forward Surge is of cultural, aesthetic and historical significance to the State of Victoria. It satisfies the following criteria for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register:

Criterion D Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and objects. Criterion E Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics. Criterion F Importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period. Criterion H Special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance in Victoria’s history.

Name: Forward Surge 5 Hermes Number: 5097

WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Forward Surge is significant at the State level for the following reasons:

Forward Surge is culturally significant as one of the most outstanding examples in Victoria of late modernist public sculpture. Forward Surge has become an iconic Melbourne landmark. It is culturally significant for the way it demonstrates how some modern sculpture was designed to encourage human interaction. Forward Surge was also designed to be viewed from a moving car. Its setting on the Arts Centre Lawn greatly contributes to the human interaction. It is culturally significant as one of Melbourne's few public art works from the 1970s that remains in situ in its original site with mostly original surrounds. [Criterion D]

Forward Surge is aesthetically significant for the way it integrates harmoniously with the built environment while its monumental, black appearance ensures that it remains an independent artwork. Forward Surge was selected by Arts Centre architect Roy Grounds to aesthetically link Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building. Forward Surge is culturally significant for the way that it is widely appreciated by both the general and academic communities. It occupies a central place in Victorian cultural history. [Criterion E]

Forward Surge is technically significant because the fabrication and installation of this large and heavy public art work was a technical achievement by sculpture fabricators and installers J.K. Fasham, engineer Joe Borg and Thermal Engineering. It is also the largest (in terms of length and breadth) work made by Inge King. Forward Surge is creatively significant as an abstract sculpture made from multiple different elements which succeed in creating changing sensations of form, space and light as people walk through and around them. [Criterion F]

Forward Surge is historically significant because it was created by one of Victoria's most celebrated and critically respected sculptors – Inge King. Forward Surge is the most important creative achievement of her career and was her first significant public commission in Victoria, her home state. Forward Surge is historically significant because it is associated with Roy Grounds and his design of the Victorian Arts Centre. It continues the tradition of other modernist buildings where the architect commissioned artwork as an important part of the site. Forward Surge is historically significant because of its associations with the émigré artists who came to after WWII and who collectively revitalised Victorian cultural life. It is also associated with the Centre Five group of modernist sculptors, one of whom was Inge King, who advocated for sculpture to be incorporated into architectural projects. [Criterion H]

Name: Forward Surge 6 Hermes Number: 5097

RECOMMENDATION REASONS

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDING INCLUSION IN THE VICTORIAN HERITAGE REGISTER [s.34A(2)] Following is the Executive Director's assessment of the place against the tests set out in The Victorian Heritage Register Criteria and Thresholds Guidelines (2014).

CRITERION D Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and objects.

STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION D The place/object is one of a CLASS of places/objects that has a clear ASSOCIATION with an event, phase, period, process, function, movement, important person(s), custom or way of life in Victoria’s history. Plus The EVENT, PHASE, etc is of HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE, having made a strong or influential contribution to Victoria. Plus The principal characteristics of the class are EVIDENT in the physical fabric of the place/object.

Executive Director’s Response • Forward Surge has a clear association with the Modernist movement in art and architecture. • is a design movement which aimed to reject the styles and materials of the past and focus instead on innovation and experimentation in forms, materials and techniques in order to create artworks that better reflected modern society. For , this included activating or changing their sites, and encouraging public interaction. After initial controversy, Modernism has now become part of mainstream culture in Victoria. • The principal characteristics of Modernism are evidenced in Forward Surge because: o The abstract style of Forward Surge is typical of the way that modernist sculpture rejected traditional representations of the world. o Forward Surge is significantly different to traditional sculpture which was generally commemorative in nature; installed on plinths; treated with reverence and only intended to be viewed not touched. Forward Surge is a sculpture that encourages human interaction. People can touch Forward Surge, they can walk or choose to sit, lean or stand in the shade of the four separate ‘sails’ or elements, each subtly different. Some members of the public even climb or ride skateboards on Forward Surge. o The dynamic interaction that the work provokes makes it one of the most successful examples of public art in Victoria. o Forward Surge and the Arts Centre Lawn form a landscape that is enjoyed and occupied by Victorians daily. The sculpture and its surrounds ensured that King’s aesthetic goals of making pieces “to sit in … the landscape” were achieved. The site encourages people to gather and relax in the shade of the sculpture, sit and play on the lawns and visually orient themselves in the site. o Some modernist sculptures in Victoria were initially disliked by the public (for example Ron Robertson-Swann's Vault, 1980). In contrast, Forward Surge has become an iconic Melbourne landmark. o Many other works of this period have been relocated or dismantled, so that examples of 1970s public art are now rarely found in their original sites in Victoria.

Criterion D is likely to be satisfied.

Name: Forward Surge 7 Hermes Number: 5097

STEP 2: A BASIC TEST FOR DETERMINING STATE LEVEL SIGNIFICANCE FOR CRITERION D The place/object is a NOTABLE EXAMPLE of the class in Victoria (refer to Reference Tool D).

Executive Director’s Response • Forward Surge is one of the most outstanding examples in Victoria of a large-scale, late modernist public sculpture. • The popularity of Forward Surge demonstrates how abstract public art can be accepted by the wider community, and how modernism has become part of mainstream culture in Victoria. • Forward Surge demonstrates how a large-scale public sculpture of the 1970s that effectively addressed a particular site, has become part of the landscape of the site and successfully ‘activated’ or changed that site. Forward Surge and the surrounding Arts Centre Lawn have become an integral part of the Victorian Arts Centre precinct and visually link the two main performance spaces. Criterion D is likely to be satisfied at the State level.

CRITERION E Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics.

STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION E The PHYSICAL FABRIC of the place/object clearly exhibits particular aesthetic characteristics.

Executive Director’s Response • Forward Surge clearly exhibits particular aesthetic characteristics because: o The curves, interlinked elements and cut away shapes of Forward Surge offer (as King said) “subtle variety and dramatic gesture” which ensure that it integrates harmoniously with the surrounding built environment. o The size, smooth surfaces, sharp edges and monumental black appearance of Forward Surge ensures that it remains an independent artwork of considerable presence. o Forward Surge and the Arts Centre Lawn aesthetically link Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building and are an important component of the aesthetic appreciation of the whole site. o The curves of the sculpture reflect those of Hamer Hall and the spire, while their horizontal deployment echoes the lowset horizontal line of Hamer Hall and contrasts with the height of the Theatres Building's spire. o The deployment of a series of interlinked elements as used in Forward Surge has characterised advanced sculpture since the advent of minimalism. However, unlike the simple forms of minimalism, the cut-away curves of Forward Surge are deceptively complex, offering as King said: “subtle variety and dramatic gesture”. o It has been fabricated industrially, which also lends it a degree of monumentality akin to the adjacent architecture.

Criterion E is likely to be satisfied.

Name: Forward Surge 8 Hermes Number: 5097

STEP 2: A BASIC TEST FOR DETERMINING STATE LEVEL SIGNIFICANCE FOR CRITERION E The aesthetic characteristics are APPRECIATED OR VALUED by the wider community or an appropriately- related discipline as evidenced, for example, by: • critical recognition of the aesthetic characteristics of the place/object within a relevant art, design, architectural or related discipline as an outstanding example within Victoria; or • wide public acknowledgement of exceptional merit in Victoria in medium such as songs, poetry, literature, , sculpture, publications, print media etc.

Executive Director’s Response • Forward Surge is appreciated by the wider community and has been photographed many times both by recognised photographers such as and Rennie Ellis, as well as by members of the public. It is advertised as being a suitable site for wedding photography, appears in travel guides and published walking tours and features in high-school art text books. • Forward Surge is acknowledged as being of exceptional merit in Victoria because there is significant critical recognition of Forward Surge in many academic publications. It is discussed at length and illustrated in all texts on the artist as well as texts on Australian public sculpture and in selected international surveys of public art. It been the subject of two major monographs (Trimble, 1996, and Grishin, 2014) and numerous exhibition catalogues and theses. • Forward Surge is valued by other sculptors and has inspired contemporary artists. For example, Emily Floyd referenced Forward Surge in her large-scale commission, Public Art Strategy, 2008, Eastlink Sculpture Park. • Inge King’s work is represented in all major public collections in Australia as well as in private collections throughout the country and in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Criterion E is likely to be satisfied at the State level.

CRITERION F Importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period.

STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION F The place/object contains PHYSICAL EVIDENCE that clearly demonstrates creative or technical ACHIEVEMENT for the time in which it was created. Plus The physical evidence demonstrates a HIGH DEGREE OF INTEGRITY.

Executive Director’s Response • With Forward Surge Inge King succeeds in her creative aim to activate the urban environment and generate public interaction • Forward Surge demonstrates Inge King’s capacity to deploy subtle variation in a monumental work. The four different elements succeed in creating changing sensations of form, space and light as people walk through and around them. • Forward Surge displays the following physical evidence that clearly demonstrates the technical achievement of the fabricators. Because of its previous experience in window fabrication, J.K. Fasham possessed the trade skills to produce sculptures of the quality required by leading sculptors like Inge King. Very few companies would have been able to achieve these outcomes. o For some sculptures, fabricators are able to curve the metal over the frame. However Forward Surge was so large that each piece of sheet steel had to be precisely curved before being

Name: Forward Surge 9 Hermes Number: 5097

attached to the internal structure. This level of precision demonstrates high level engineering design and fabrication skills. o The creation of the smooth metal surfaces by welding followed by precise and time consuming grinding clearly demonstrates the high level of finishing required for sculpture as opposed to other types of metal fabrication. The welds are almost invisible and remain in good condition 40 years later demonstrating their high quality. o The internal bracing of Forward Surge, although invisible, demonstrates technical achievement and has ensured the creation of an artwork that is also structurally sound. The sculpture’s continuing good state of preservation is a testament to good quality design and fabrication. • Forward Surge demonstrates the trend towards making massive painted, fabricated steel public sculptures rather than using bronze or stone. This trend began in the 1960s, both internationally and in Australia, and has continued to the present day. Trade skills which were previously applied to the building industry were adapted and refined for making sculpture. • Unlike other artworks, sculptures are often conceived by the artist and fabricated by others. This has been the case for marble sculptures for centuries. The manufacture of Forward Surge continues this tradition. • The sculpture itself demonstrates a high degree of integrity. All the components and original fabrication techniques are still present, in their original positions and the work is still in its original location in a grassy lawn (although the plants next to Hamer Hall have been changed).

Criterion F is likely to be satisfied.

STEP 2: A BASIC TEST FOR DETERMINING STATE LEVEL SIGNIFICANCE FOR CRITERION F The nature &/or scale of the achievement is OF A HIGH DEGREE or ‘beyond the ordinary’ for the period in which it was undertaken as evidenced by: • critical acclaim of the place/object within the relevant creative or technological discipline as an outstanding example in Victoria; or • wide acknowledgement of exceptional merit in Victoria in medium such as publications and print media; or • recognition of the place/object as a breakthrough in terms of design, fabrication or construction techniques; or • recognition of the place/object as a successful solution to a technical problem that extended the limits of existing technology; or • recognition of the place/object as an outstanding example of the creative adaptation of available materials and technology of the period.

Executive Director’s Response • Inge King worked closely with the fabricators to ensure that her artistic aims were preserved in the final work. This is a creative achievement of a high degree as evidenced by the critical acclaim of Forward Surge within the visual art community. • There were engineering and fabrication challenges to specify, construct and install Forward Surge. While J.K. Fasham and their contractors had past experience with sculpture fabrication, the size and number of components of Forward Surge created their own challenges. These challenges were solved very successfully. The sculpture demonstrates technical achievement at a State Level.

Criterion F is likely to be satisfied at the State level.

Name: Forward Surge 10 Hermes Number: 5097

CRITERION H Special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance in Victoria’s history.

STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION H The place/object has a DIRECT ASSOCIATION with a person or group of persons who have made a strong or influential CONTRIBUTION to the course of Victoria’s history. Plus The ASSOCIATION of the place/object to the person(s) IS EVIDENT in the physical fabric of the place/object and/or in documentary resources and/or oral history. Plus The ASSOCIATION: • directly relates to ACHIEVEMENTS of the person(s) at, or relating to, the place/object; or • relates to an enduring and/or close INTERACTION between the person(s) and the place/object.

Executive Director’s Response • Forward Surge has a direct association with Inge King who is one of Victoria’s most celebrated and critically respected sculptors. • Forward Surge brought Inge King much greater recognition among Victoria's public than she had hitherto enjoyed. Largely because of Forward Surge, King became known primarily as a sculptor of monumental public art and became one of Australia’s greatest sculptors. • Inge King was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1984 in recognition of her outstanding services to the . She was awarded the inaugural Dame Elisabeth Lifetime Achievement Award for Australian Sculpture, in October 2015. • Forward Surge is a good example of the role played by both the émigré artists who came to Australia after WWII and the Centre Five group of sculptors. Both these groups shaped the Australian post-war urban and cultural landscape. Inge King has long been recognised as one of the most successful of the émigré artists and she is of particular importance to the development of public art in Australia. • Forward Surge has a direct association with Roy Grounds who is considered to be one of the most important architects of his generation and one of Victoria's most well-known and influential modern architects. • Roy Grounds chose Forward Surge for the space between the Theatres Building and Hamer Hall. Grounds considered himself a patron of modern sculpture and often incorporated it into his designs.

Criterion H is likely to be satisfied.

STEP 2: A BASIC TEST FOR DETERMINING STATE LEVEL SIGNIFICANCE FOR CRITERION H The place/object allows the clear association with the person or group of persons to be READILY APPRECIATED BETTER THAN MOST OTHER PLACES OR OBJECTS IN VICTORIA.

Executive Director’s Response • Forward Surge is still in its original location on the Arts Centre Lawn as designed by Roy Grounds. Together, Forward Surge and the Arts Centre Lawn are the critical third component of the Arts Centre, the other two components of which are Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building. This enables Forward Surge to be easily appreciated as an integral part of the architecture of Roy Grounds’ Arts Centre.

Criterion H is likely to be satisfied at the State level.

Name: Forward Surge 11 Hermes Number: 5097

PROPOSED PERMIT POLICY

Preamble The purpose of the Permit Policy is to assist when considering or making decisions regarding works to a registered place. It is recommended that any proposed works be discussed with an officer of Heritage Victoria prior to making a permit application. Discussing proposed works will assist in answering questions the owner may have and aid any decisions regarding works to the place.

The extent of registration of Forward Surge in the Victorian Heritage Register affects the whole place shown on Diagram 2378 including the sculpture, land, landscape elements and other features. Under the Heritage Act 1995 a person must not remove or demolish, damage or despoil, develop or alter or excavate, relocate or disturb the position of any part of a registered place or object without approval. It is acknowledged, however, that alterations and other works may be required to keep places and objects in good repair and adapt them for use into the future.

If a person wishes to undertake works or activities in relation to a registered place or registered object, they must apply to the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria for a permit. The purpose of a permit is to enable appropriate change to a place and to effectively manage adverse impacts on the cultural heritage significance of a place as a consequence of change. If an owner is uncertain whether a heritage permit is required, it is recommended that Heritage Victoria be contacted.

Permits are required for anything which alters the place or object, unless a permit exemption is granted. Permit exemptions usually cover routine maintenance and upkeep issues faced by owners as well as minor works or works to the elements of the place or object that are not significant. They may include appropriate works that are specified in a conservation management plan. Permit exemptions can be granted at the time of registration (under s.42 of the Heritage Act) or after registration (under s.66 of the Heritage Act). It should be noted that the addition of new buildings to the registered place, as well as alterations to the interior and exterior of existing buildings requires a permit, unless a specific permit exemption is granted.

Conservation management plans It is recommended that a Conservation Management Plan is developed to manage the place in a manner which respects its cultural heritage significance.

Other approvals Please be aware that approval from other authorities (such as local government) may be required to undertake works.

Name: Forward Surge 12 Hermes Number: 5097

Cultural heritage significance Overview of significance The cultural heritage significance of Forward Surge lies in both its appearance and location. King intended Forward Surge to become the part of the Victorian Arts Centre complex that encouraged people to gather and relax in the shade of the sculpture, and on the lawn and visually orient themselves in the site. The sculpture is also highly visible to passing pedestrians. Forward Surge was intended to be visible from St Kilda Road, and one of Inge King’s aims was to make a sculpture which could be appreciated from a moving car.

a) All of the buildings and features listed here are of primary cultural heritage significance in the context of the place. A permit is required for works or alterations. See Permit Exemptions section for specific permit exempt activities: • Forward Surge sculpture, above and below ground • Underground concrete plinth and fixings • Arts Centre Lawn

b) Buildings and features that are listed here or not listed in a) or c) are deemed to have contributory cultural heritage significance to the place. A permit is required for most works or alterations. See Permit Exemptions section for specific permit exempt activities: • Bluestone paving surrounding the sculpture • Retaining wall of the Arts Centre lawn at St Kilda Road • Raised concrete garden beds • Narrow garden bed to the back of the site • Original concrete bins

c) The following buildings and features are of no cultural heritage significance. Specific permit exemptions are provided for these items: • Paths on the Arts Centre Lawn (where installed since implementation of the original design) • Plants in the four concrete garden beds on the edges of the Arts Centre Lawn (replacements of the original plantings) • Covered walkway • Sculptures on the Arts Centre Lawn (where installed since implementation of the original design)

Specific Permit policies All the works recommended below (aside from monitoring) will require a permit or permit exemption. Location policy The sculpture should remain on its current, original site. Full public access to the sculpture should be maintained. Any works to the areas around the sculpture should ensure that the work remains fully accessible to the public. It is acceptable to put unobtrusive skateboard stops at the base of the ‘waves’ for public safety reasons. The Arts Centre Lawn should be maintained as a grassy lawn. Consideration should be given to replacing the current palms (Livistona australis) with Eucalypts given that Inge King saw these trees as an important setting for her work. It is recognised that the original Spotted Gum trees (Corymbia maculata) may grow too large for the site, however a smaller species of Eucalyptus may be able to be used. No weed or vermin control chemicals are to be applied to the sculpture. If there is ever a proposal to remove, replace or alter the walkway, any new structure should allow an uninterrupted view of Forward Surge from St Kilda Road.

Name: Forward Surge 13 Hermes Number: 5097

Maintenance policy The sculpture should be regularly maintained both above and below ground to stop corrosion of the metal and retain the sharp edges of the work. As part of a maintenance program, an engineer may need to document and monitor the structural condition of the whole work including the underground components and fastenings. The coatings should be regularly inspected by a conservator to ensure that they are functional both above and below ground and are not allowing water to enter the hollow sculpture. A black semi-gloss paint should be used over corrosion inhibiting coatings in order to maintain the original appearance. It is recognised that the technology of painted coatings will change over time. As King was more concerned with the appearance than the materials of the coatings, different types of coatings and inhibitors may be acceptable. Where possible, the stable layers of original paint should be retained on the work as evidence of its history; provided that the edges of the original paint can be smoothed so as to maintain the overall smooth semi-gloss appearance of the sculpture. Where possible, the existing layers should be maintained. If the paint layers must be removed for preservation reasons, samples of the paint should be kept in the Arts Centre collection. Repeated sandblasting will damage the smooth surface of the steel and should not be allowed. Caustic or solvent based paint strippers are acceptable. Inge King’s daughters, Joanna Tanaka-King and Angela Hey may be able to provide further information about the artist’s intent and aims.

PROPOSED PERMIT EXEMPTIONS (UNDER SECTION 42 OF THE HERITAGE ACT) It should be noted that Permit Exemptions can be granted at the time of registration (under s.42(4) of the Heritage Act). Permit Exemptions can also be applied for and granted after registration (under s.66 of the Heritage Act).

General Condition 1 All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.

General Condition 2 Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon as possible.

General Condition 3 All works should ideally be informed by Conservation Management Plans prepared for the place. The Executive Director is not bound by any Conservation Management Plan, and permits still must be obtained for works suggested in any Conservation Management Plan.

General Condition 4 Nothing in this determination prevents the Heritage Council from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.

General Condition 5 Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the relevant responsible authority, where applicable.

Specific Permit Exemptions • Touch-up painting of un-corroded areas of the sculpture only, using semi-gloss black paint, provided that preparation or painting does not remove large amounts of original paint.

Name: Forward Surge 14 Hermes Number: 5097

General Exemptions: • Maintenance and replacement of plumbing and electrical services near the sculpture providing that the original formation of the sculpture and its bluestone base remains unaltered, and does not have a detrimental impact on its cultural heritage significance.

Public Safety and Security: • The erection of temporary security fencing, scaffolding, hoardings or surveillance systems to prevent unauthorised access or secure public safety which will not adversely affect significant fabric of the place provided that temporary structures are removed within 30 days of erection. • Emergency building stabilisation (including propping) necessary to secure safety where a site feature has been irreparably damaged or destabilised and represents a safety risk. Note: Urgent or emergency site works are to be undertaken by an appropriately qualified specialist such as a structural engineer, or other heritage professional.

Signage and Site Interpretation: • No signage or interpretation may be fixed to Forward Surge. • Signage and site interpretation activities provided the signs located and be of a suitable size so as not to obscure any views of or cause any damage to significant fabric of the place. • The erection of non-illuminated signage to ensure public safety or to assist in the interpretation of the heritage significance of the place or object and which will not adversely affect significant fabric including landscape features of the place or obstruct significant views of the sculpture.

Landscape Exemptions • Works to pathways that are not part of the original design, and do not affect the cultural heritage significance of the sculpture and the Arts Centre Lawn. • Minor repairs and maintenance to hard landscape elements, structures, steps, paths, steps and gutters, drainage and irrigation systems, edging, fences and gates but not the bluestone paving surrounding Forward Surge. • The process of gardening, including mowing, hedge clipping, bedding displays, removal of dead shrubs and replanting the same species or cultivar, disease and weed control, and maintenance to care for existing plants. • The removal or pruning of dead or dangerous trees to maintain safety. • Subsurface works involving the installation, removal or replacement of watering and drainage systems in accordance with AS4970 and on the condition that works do not impact on the bluestone paving, concrete garden beds or underground concrete plinth. • Vegetation protection and management of possums and vermin.

Name: Forward Surge 15 Hermes Number: 5097

RELEVANT INFORMATION

Local Government Authority City of Melbourne

Heritage Overlay City of Melbourne, HO760 (part of Victorian Arts Centre, 2-128 St. Kilda Road, 1-9 Sturt Street & 93-115 Southbank Road, Southbank)

Heritage Overlay Controls External Paint: No Internal Alteration: No Tree: No

VHR numbers (overlaps) H1500 VICTORIAN ARTS CENTRE H2359 ST KILDA ROAD

Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register No

Other Listings National Trust B6393

Other Names The Wave

HISTORY

Arts Centre Lawn Forward Surge is located on the Arts Centre Lawn. The lawn was included in the design of the Arts Centre partially to fulfil a condition imposed by the City of Melbourne. The design had placed Hamer Hall on the site of Snowden Park. The City of Melbourne permitted the loss of this park providing an equivalent “verdant space” was created to replace it. The Arts Centre Lawn does this. The lawn was also necessary to cover both part of the roof of the Arts Centre and the bridge over City Road, Sturt Street and Southgate Avenue.

Commissioning of Forward Surge Forward Surge sits at the heart of the Victorian Arts Centre (VHR H1500). The complex was designed by the architect Roy Grounds from 1962 and the final building was completed in 1984 after his death. Forward Surge was installed on 22 March 1981. Roy Grounds chose Forward Surge from a 1:12 scale maquette included in King's second Australian solo exhibition, Inge King: Maquettes for Monumental Sculpture, held at the Chapman Powell Street Gallery, South Yarra on 2-14 April 1973. Powell Street Gallery director, David Chapman had arranged for the members of the Victorian Arts Centre Building Committee, including Roy Grounds, to visit the exhibition. As King later recalled, when Grounds saw the maquette for Forward Surge he said, ‘I want this one.’

The maquette itself remained in the artist's possession until 2006, when she gifted it to the (accession no. VAC2006-006.001). Before the full-sized sculpture could be fabricated, a second maquette had to be made to account for the wider bases that were needed to allow each element (a partial arch) to stand unsupported. The second maquette was later acquired by Dr and Mrs Bruce Munro and given by them to the Geelong Art Gallery in 1983 (accession no. 1983.76.a-e).

The final site for Forward Surge came to be seen by the artist as integral to the work. In the exhibition catalogue, the Forward Surge maquette was designated as a ‘sculpture for open air environment.’ While this was a very broad remit, in retrospect the location came to be seen by King as ideal. In large part, this is owing to the surrounding architecture: the curves of the steel sculpture echo the curves of Hamer Hall and

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the Theatres Building, while also contrasting with them in terms of material: black-painted steel versus concrete. The horizontal layout of the four sculptural elements / arches also acts as a counterpoint to the severe vertical thrust of the Arts Centre spire and the neighbouring high-rise apartment complexes. It took eight years for the work to be enlarged, fabricated and put into storage. During this time King paid repeated visits to the site. Shortly after the work was finally installed, on 23 March 1981, she wrote: I had clearly visualised Forward Surge in relation to its surroundings, but one cannot be absolutely sure until the work is installed. Seeing the sculpture finally in place on a beautiful sunny autumn day, the arches soaring into the sky, and linking the two buildings, spire and concert hall, was a wonderful experience.

Manufacturing Forward Surge The process of manufacturing Forward Surge was long and complex, entailing extensive meetings and correspondence with King, Grounds, the Arts Centre building committee, fabricators J.K. Fasham Pty Ltd and engineers Thermal Engineering. J.K. Fasham consigned the fabrication work to Thermal Engineering owing to the size of factory required to house the sculpture during fabrication. King chose her own structural engineer, Joe Borg, who was also a sub-contractor of J.K. Fasham. Borg made most of the computations for the enlargement of the curves. The artist’s archive holds the original records of the protracted negotiations with all these people and companies. She said: ... with Forward Surge, I chose my own structural engineer. I had an engineering firm [Thermal Engineering] who would enlarge it but we needed a structural engineer... Grounds, Romberg and Boyd suggested that they would take over and I said no thankyou. Because I wanted to work with somebody who understood what I wanted; ... an insensitive engineer can suggest things that can ruin your work, and I knew I could talk to this man.

The first sail was completed by June 1975 and removed by Mayne Nickless to the Public Works Department store in Port Melbourne. Fabrication was completed in 1976, and the fours sails were stored with the Public Works Department with only an undercoat. In her book on King, Judith Trimble described the internal armature and construction of Forward Surge: ... Like the hull of a ship, the sculpture has an internal structure. Steel arcs 5cm thick and braced by T and angle sections were aligned with paired steel trusses built to the same profile and positioned at intervals between them, the whole construction mounted upon a steel base. Horizontal steel beams linked these members and stabilised lateral movement. The inner curve was then clad with (precisely curved) 6 mm. mild steel plate cut down to long strips measuring 610 x 244 cm., as it was not possible to manage continuous lengths. The sheets were attached to the framework with fillet welds at intervals and welded edge to edge to create a smooth surface. Once the inner cladding was in place the forms became self-supporting, and props and braces were removed. ... The most difficult aspect of the job concerned welding the outer skin to the frame, especially in the narrowly tapered top of the curve. With welds ground and polished, the curves (now resembling great waves or sails) were stored; this was no small operation in itself.

To install the work in 1981 police escorted four low-loaders from the Public Works Department store in Port Melbourne to St Kilda Road, which had to be partially closed off, on the morning of 22 March 1981. The four sails were attached to an underground concrete plinth installed on top of the immense concrete roof of the underground Arts Centre and bridge over the streets below. A team of men worked from 6 am to mid- afternoon to position the four steel elements on their concrete foundations The steel blades were painted black, in situ, using Dimet brand inorganic zinc silicate coating applied as a corrosion inhibitor followed by ‘Dimet 25%’ black semi-gloss paint.

Use of Forward Surge Since its installation, Forward Surge has been the site of numerous community activities. These include markets, performances, meetings, weddings and other informal interactions such as family picnics. In 2006,

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with King's consent, Forward Surge was temporarily painted a teal blue colour as part of a Commonwealth Games project, `The Beach', in which the lawn next to Hamer Hall was transformed into a beach-like environment. King approved the project `because it means the sculpture has a life.' The sculpture was then painted black again. The blue paint layer is still visible under subsequent black layers.

Modernism While European modernism came to Australia in 1910 and was visible in popular culture from the 1930s (for example in fashion and retail), it took until the late 1950s or 60s for it to become accepted in the arts including sculpture. Modernism aimed to reject the styles of the past and focus instead on innovation and experimentation in forms, materials and techniques in order to create artworks that better reflected modern society. Forward Surge is one of the most outstanding examples in Victoria of late modernist public sculpture. Its abstract style is typical of the way that modernist sculpture rejected traditional representations of the world.

History of Inge King and her work Inge King (née Neufeld) was born in 1915 in , where she initially trained as a wood carver in the studio of Hermann Nonnenmacher and later studied at the Vereingte Staatschulen für freie und angewandte Künste (Unified State Schools for Fine and Applied Art). This was one of the ’s two great schools of art – the other being the Bauhaus. In 1939, she left for Britain where she studied on a scholarship at the Royal Academy, , and at the School of Art, gaining a diploma in sculpture in 1943. In the ensuing years, she gradually abandoned the academic figurative tradition in which she was trained in favour of an abstracted cubist form of carving, influenced by Jacob Epstein and Henry Moore. She showed work of this kind at her first solo exhibition, held at the London Gallery, 1949. She also travelled to France and the USA saying: My time in the United States was wonderful: it gave me new freedom; it was as though ballast had fallen off me – a European ballast.

In 1950, she married the Australian painter and printmaker in London and with him came to Australia in 1951, settling in Warrandyte. In Australia, she ceased carving and began constructing sculpture from sheet steel and copper wire, exhibiting these constructions and mobiles with her husband at the Peter Bray Gallery, Melbourne, 1952, and at the 1953 and 1957 Herald Outdoor Art Exhibitions in the . In 1959, she learnt to use an arc welder and thenceforth welded her work in steel, becoming one of the first sculptors in Australia - along with Clement Meadmore and - to work primarily in that medium. She was also included that year in the significant Six Sculptors exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria - the first ever showing of contemporary sculpture at the gallery. Along with her co-exhibitors from that show she would go on, in 1961, to co-found Centre 5, a group that agitated for the acceptance of abstract sculpture and for closer consultation with sculptors on the part of architects involved in the design of public works.

Her work of the 1960s featured heavily encrusted edges and joins, emphasising the artistic process of their construction. Relatively few works from this period were commissioned for public spaces in Victoria with Wodonga Fountain, 1972 (Wodonga Civic Centre), Shell Sculpture, 1965 (University of Ballarat) and Eurydice, 1965 (BHP) being among the few exceptions. In 1968, she began grinding steel to a smooth, polished finish, one example being Wall Sculpture I, 1968, (McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Langwarrin). She was awarded her first two major commissions in Canberra and Brisbane between 1969 and 1973. These two commissions were of a scale that required King to work with engineers and fabricators - a process she considered enabled her to ‘complete her training.’

From 1961 to 1988, Inge King’s smaller works, which she assembled, welded and painted by hand in the studio, were nearly all in black-painted steel. Her first monumental black painted sculpture was Black Sun (1975) for which she won the Mildura purchase prize at the Mildura Sculpturescape. Forward Surge was the

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second of King's fabricated public works to make use of simple black-painted steel. Other major black painted steels commissions in Victoria include Sun Ribbon, 1980-82 (Melbourne University), and Grand Arch, 2001 (Art Gallery of Ballarat). King also produced sculptures made of steel painted in black and other colours such as Joie de Vivre, 1989 (ICI House); Shearwater, 1994 (ESSO Australia); Sentinel, 2000 (); Grand Arch, 2001 (Art Gallery of Ballarat); Rings of Saturn, 2005-06 (Heide Museum of Modern Art) and Red Rings, 2008, Eastlink trail.

King has held numerous solo exhibitions including those at Powell Street Gallery, 1969, 1973; Realities Gallery, 1977, 1980, 1985; Victor Mace Gallery (Brisbane), 1978; Coventry Gallery (), 1978; Bonython- Meadmore Gallery (Adelaide and Sydney), 1985, 1987, 1989; and the Australian Galleries, sixteen exhibitions since 1988. Major survey exhibitions have been held at Melbourne University, 1982; , 1990; National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), 1992; Bendigo Art Gallery, 1995; ANU Drill Hall Gallery, 2002, and NGV, 2014.

King lectured in sculpture to trainee kindergarten teachers at the School of Early Childhood Studies at the , 1961 to 1975, and taught sculpture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 1976 to 1987. In recognition of her outstanding services to the arts in Australia she was created an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1984. More recently she was awarded the inaugural Dame Elisabeth Lifetime Achievement Award for Australian Sculpture, in October 2015. She is represented in all major public collections in Australia as well as in private collections throughout the country and in the UK, Europe and the USA.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS Artist name: Inge King Artistic style name: Abstract modernist Builder name: John Fasham of J.K. Fasham Engineer name: Joe Borg Construction started date: 1973 Construction ended date: 23 March 1981

VICTORIAN HISTORICAL THEMES

09 Shaping cultural and creative life 9.2 Nurturing a vibrant arts scene 9.3 Achieving design and artistic distinction 9.4 Creating popular culture

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Forward Surge is an imposing work of sculpture on a monumental scale from one of Australia's most significant sculptors, Inge King. It consists of four reinforced, hollow steel ‘waves’ which are painted black. The work rises 5.16 metres above ground and each of the four steel ‘waves’ or elements measures 7 metres across and weighs approximately six tonnes. The ‘waves’ are set into a concrete plinth covered with earth. At ground level, the sculpture is surrounded by bluestone pavers; the paved area measures 15.14 x 13.68 metres. The bluestone paving is surrounded by the extensive, green Arts Centre Lawn with Hamer Hall at the northern end and the Theatres Building at the southern. The eastern boundary of the site is St Kilda Road and the western is the edge of the overpass over Sturt Street.

Forward Surge is an entirely abstract sculpture where the artist has created a series of waves rolling towards the city that would also encourage people to physically move about the space, exploring and engaging with the work at a bodily level. The sculpture was also designed to be appreciated from a moving car. The

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‘waves’ of the sculpture surging towards the city create a rhythmic horizontal flow, which both echoes the rounded forms of Arts Centre's Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building and counteracts the strong verticality of the high-rise buildings behind the work. The work's powerful sense of motion - rolling and straining forward - is also an appropriate symbol of Melbourne's rapid growth in the 1970s and remains a relevant symbol to the present day. In addition, Forward Surge evokes familiar local associations, reminding its viewers of their proximity to the sea. The sculpture links together built forms on a level that still relates to human size. As a result, it creates a strong sense of place in the cultural heart of the city of Melbourne, which, together with the grassy surrounds of the Arts Centre Lawn, makes it a favoured spot for a range of activities by members of the public.

ARTIST’S INTENT AND MATERIALS Ben Fasham has confirmed that Inge King preferred her painted sculptures to have a well-maintained appearance. Forward Surge was made from welded mild steel with precise, sharp edges and a painted black, semi-gloss surface. The original coating system appears to have included a Dimet brand inorganic zinc silicate coating applied as a corrosion inhibitor followed by ‘Dimet 25%’ black semi-gloss paint. These coatings extend to the underground section. More recently (2017), ‘International 870’ paint (a two component, high build, acrylic polyurethane) as well as other black paints have been applied to the sculpture over the earlier paint layers. King allowed the work to be temporarily painted blue in 2006 but it was returned to its original black. It appears that all the original layers of paint (including the blue layer) are still present on most of the sculpture (2017).

She said that ‘my aim is to involve people in my work.’ King stated repeatedly that her sculptures should be used, even if that entailed scratches to the painted surface and said that ‘you can always paint that back again.’ She was even happy with skateboarders using the work as a ramp.

King said her ‘pieces are really conceived … to sit in the landscape’ and that ‘I had clearly visualised Forward Surge in relation to its surroundings, but one cannot be absolutely sure until the work is installed. Seeing the sculpture finally in place on a beautiful sunny autumn day, the arches soaring into the sky, and linking the two buildings, spire and concert hall, was a wonderful experience.’ The site had come to be seen by the artist as integral to the work. This indicates that the location of the sculpture in between the two main performance spaces in the Victorian Arts Centre precinct and surrounded by an extensive lawn, is an important part of its significance.

The covered walkway (added just after Roy Grounds retired from the project) significantly blocks the view of the sculpture from St Kilda Road and Inge King was very disappointed with it.

OBJECTS 1. (First) Maquette for Forward Surge, 1972, no. VAC 2006-006.001 held in the collection of the Victorian Arts Centre. 2. (Second maquette for) Forward Surge, 1972-73, no. 1983.76 held in the collection of the Geelong Gallery These objects are not proposed for inclusion in the registration.

LANDSCAPES, TREES & GARDENS Forward Surge is located on the Arts Centre Lawn. The bases of the waves of the sculpture are set into the soil at a depth of approximately 10-15 cm. At ground level there is a small rectangular area of bluestone paving directly around the visible base of the sculpture which measures 15.14 x 13.68 metres. Surrounding this is the Arts Centre Lawn which stretches from Hamer Hall to the Theatres Building. The lawn was designed as part of the Arts Centre for several reasons. One was to fulfil a condition imposed by the City of Melbourne. A later revision of Roy Grounds’ original design placed Hamer Hall on the site of Snowden Park. According to Fritz Suendermann who worked in Roy Grounds’ office, the City of Melbourne allowed the loss

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of this park providing an equivalent ‘verdant space’ was created to replace it. The Arts Centre Lawn is this ‘verdant space’. The Lawn also needed to be large enough to cover part of the roof of the Arts Centre and the wide bridge over three streets (City Road, Sturt Street and Southgate Avenue). The lawn slopes upwards from the St Kilda Road side to the Sturt Street side to allow for the installation of services for the buildings. The landscaping may have been designed either by landscape architects Geoffrey Sanderson (of Gerner Sanderson, Faggetter and Cheesman) and/or Lorand Sebestyen (who was employed by Roy Grounds’ studio).

Because of the height of the Sturt Street bridge and the necessarily shallow depth of soil, grass was the only possible planting for most of the Arts Centre Lawn. The exception was the northern edge next to Hamer Hall where trees were planted in the deeper soil, surrounded by three raised concrete walled garden beds. Two of the concrete garden beds next to Hamer Hall are made from an S-shaped concrete wall with a soil in each curved area. The third bed on this side is semi-circular and forms the edge of one of the stairs up to the Hamer Hall external walkway. A fourth raised, circular concreted walled garden bed was constructed on the steps of the Arts Centre. The concrete of the four garden beds contains a very coarse, dark aggregate. This concrete is exactly the same as the concrete on the exterior of the Arts Centre (but not Hamer Hall) and other landscape features of the site such as the stair down to Sturt Street, the rubbish bins and the stairs up to Hamer Hall. At the back of the site there is a narrow garden bed with bluestone edging which extends to the full width of the site. A low, bluestone clad retaining wall was constructed at the St Kilda Road path to hold the soil in place.

The original plantings visible in the concrete beds next to Hamer Hall in the 1998 photo appear to have been Spotted Gums (Corymbia maculata). The narrow bed at the back of the site appears to have originally contained conifers (Cupressus torulosa). There were also flower beds set into the lawn. It is not possible to determine what tree was planted in the circular bed next to the Arts Centre.

The Arts Centre Lawn is an important aspect of the experience of the sculpture. The site is highly visible to passing pedestrians, many of whom are enticed onto the lawns to sit in the sculpture's shade, to walk around the four elements, or indeed to skateboard up the sculpture's curving flanks. Two quotes from Inge King discuss this: Forward Surge is an environmental sculpture and encourages the spectator to explore it by walking around and through the arches as well as viewing it in its entirety. My aim is to involve people in my work. But what is quite interesting in this site, there is rise from the street level. I mean, the lawn rises to go to the back part of the building. It will be in between so that they will be slightly elevated, which I think should be quite good. These seem to indicate that King saw the site’s accessibility as integral to the work and was pleased that the rising elevation of the site allowed a better view of the sculpture.

Inge King’s daughters have said that: Inge saw the positioning of Forward Surge as ideal. She felt her sculpture complemented and enhanced the environment of the Arts Precinct complex, particularly in its elevated position on the grassy rise. She viewed the lawn, amidst the stone and concrete paving and buildings, as offering a vital green space. She also felt the lawn provided important visual contrast, giving added definition to the soaring black sails and silhouette of her creation. On numerous occasions Inge commented on her delight that Melbournians and visitors alike embraced the sculpture and used the surrounding lawns to picnic near or in the shade cast by her sculpture. When the diplomat from the Australian Embassy in Berlin opened the Inge King Memorial Gallery in Germany in 2016, he made special mention of fond family memories of picnicking on the grass under this iconic work.

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Inge preferred her work sited outdoors in open green spaces, like the Rings of Saturn at Heide. In 2016 she was delighted to learn that Temple Gate, 1976-77, owned by the NGA, was prominently positioned in the centre of a vast lawn, within the Bowen Crossing Redevelopment Site in Canberra.

It is standard practice to site modernist sculpture on manicured lawns, both in Australia and overseas. Many of Inge King’s other sculptures are sited on manicured lawns, and the simple green is an excellent background to the black forms of the sculptures. Eucalypts were important to Inge King as she liked their ‘messiness’ as a contrast to her sculptures and they are often planted near her sculptures. Her daughter Jo Tanaka-King says that the species of Eucalypt was not important to King but that it was important that they did not obscure the view of the sculptures.

The site's proximity to St Kilda Road is also important, as King was interested in the idea of sculpture that was experienced through the window of a moving car, with the multiple elements viewed in rapid succession as the vehicle passes it. Forward Surge lends itself admirably to this type of viewing, as the movement of cars north along St Kilda Road only adds impetus to the forward motion of the sculpture itself. A covered walkway was added between the pavement and the lawn on the St Kilda Road side of the site after Roy Grounds’ retirement from the project due to illness. Even though Forward Surge was installed on a rising slope, the heavy, tubular white supports of the walkway greatly interrupt the view of the sculpture from St Kilda Road.

ARCHAEOLOGY There is no identified archaeology of State level significance at this place. Before installation of the sculpture, the site was excavated to build the underground components of the Arts Centre, new bridge and Hamer Hall. This would have destroyed any archaeological remains at the site.

INTEGRITY/INTACTNESS Intactness The intactness of Forward Surge is excellent. All components are still present, in their original positions and the work is still in its original location.

The intactness of the plantings on the edge of the Arts Centre Lawn is somewhat compromised. The three large, raised, rounded, concrete walled garden beds are still present at the south side of Hamer Hall but the original Eucalypts (Corymbia maculata) have been removed and replaced with palms (Livistona australis) and other shrubs. The conifers (Cupressus torulosa) in the raised bed at the back of the site have been replaced with other plants. The flower beds originally behind the sculpture have also been converted to lawn. The circular concrete walled garden bed on the edge of the steps to the Arts Centre is still present but the tree planted in this appears to have been changed too. The lawn itself is still in its original format. (August 2017).

Integrity The integrity of the place is excellent. The cultural heritage values of the place can be easily read in the extant fabric. The views of the work from three of the four compass points are the same as they were when it was installed. However the covered walkway which was added between the pavement and the lawn on the St Kilda Road side of the site compromises the view from this side of the site. Even though Forward Surge was installed on a rising slope, the tubular white supports of the walkway interrupt the view of the sculpture from St Kilda Road (i.e. from cars) but not from the footpath. (August 2017).

CONDITION Forward Surge is in good condition. It is regularly repainted and maintained by the Arts Centre. Graffiti is sometimes sprayed onto the black paint and is regularly painted over in black paint by the Arts Centre. Shallow scratching to the paint of the bases of the four waves is visible - damage most likely caused by skate-

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boarders. However, King has stated repeatedly that her sculptures may be used, even if that entails risking scratches to the painted surface saying: `you can always paint that back again'. There are chips to the paint along the edges of all the sails. There is surface and some pitting corrosion along the lower edges, where the steel sails meet the surface pavers. This may indicate corrosion of the underground areas of the metal. This would not be surprising given that the paint on the underground areas of metal is now 30 years old and will have started to degrade. The underground areas were partially excavated in 2016 and visible corrosion was treated by Ben Fasham. The welds joining the 244-cm wide strips of mild steel plate are barely visible and appear to be in good condition with no openings visible. The row of bluestone pavers closest to the inner curved side of each sail have been replaced with bluestone of a coarser texture than the original fine textured bluestone. (August 2017).

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COMPARISONS There are no abstract modernist sculptures, or indeed any modern or Modernist sculptures individually listed in the Victorian Heritage Register to compare with Forward Surge. This indicates a gap in the Victorian Heritage Register in this area. Forward Surge has been compared with other individually registered sculptures; abstract modernist sculptures which are part of registered places and other well-known modernist sculptures in Melbourne.

Comparison – Type – Individually registered sculptures

Place 1 – Robert Burns Statue, 1830s by John Greenshields (1795-1835), Camperdown, VHR H2328 The sandstone statue of Robert Burns is significant for its representation of the cultural influences of Scottish migration to Australia, and to Victoria in particular. The statue is the second oldest statue of Robert Burns in the world and was carved in the 1830s, before the foundation of the Port Philip District in 1835. It arrived in Camperdown in 1883. The statue of Robert Burns is significant for aesthetic reasons because of the high level of skill demonstrated by the way the sculptor, John Greenshields, resolved the complex pose of the figure and dog. He displays masterly technique in details such as the realistic appearance of the boots, creases in the clothing, the suggestion of the notebook crammed into Burns' coat pocket, the shape of the hand under the jacket and the way the coat is caught up at the back.

Place 2 - Marquis of Linlithgow Memorial, 1911 by William Birnie Rhind (1853-1933), St Kilda Road, VHR H0366 The Marquis of Linlithgow memorial is an equestrian portrait in military uniform as Commander in Chief of Australia. The bronze figure of the first Governor General of Australia has been placed on a substantial classically inspired pedestal made of Harcourt granite. Rhind aimed to provide a "correct likeness" of the Marquis which was approved by his family. The Marquis of Linlithgow Memorial is of historical importance as a commemoration of the first Governor General of Australia and his role at the time of Federation. The Marquis of Linlithgow Memorial is of aesthetic significance to the State of Victoria as a part of the beautification of Melbourne with appropriate parks, gardens and memorials.

Both these works are difficult to compare to Forward Surge as they represent 18th and 19th century use of sculpture for commemoration and memorialisation purposes. They are both made to be as realistic as their materials will allow. Neither of them encourage human interaction and indeed are designed to be looked at and not touched. Forward Surge differs from these sculptures in all these respects. One similarity is that both Forward Surge and the Marquis of Linlithgow Memorial were intended to part of the beautification of a site.

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Comparison – Type – Abstract modernist sculptures which are part of a Registered Place

Place 3 – The Olympic Pylon, 1955 by (1920–1999), Olympic Swimming Stadium, VHR H1977 The Olympic Pylon was commissioned by the architects (Peter McIntyre, Kevin Borland and John and Phyllis Murphy). It is a tall ceramic sculpture made of 260 terracotta bricks, in total about 10.6m high. The architects prevailed on the clients to allow money for a sculpture and Boyd was given a free hand to design the work, which was begun in 1955. A commission for a major piece of sculpture was extremely rare in the 1950s, but it was seen by the architects as an important aspect of their overall design - a simple vertical contrast to the diagonals of the seating. There was little public reaction to the completed work. The Olympic Pylon is somewhat figurative in nature with a theme of water and two diving figures. Arthur Boyd is one of Australia's most important artists but the Olympic Pylon is his only piece of public sculpture, though smaller ceramic sculptures by him are held in a number of galleries in Victoria.

Place 4 – Shell Mace, 1989 by Charles O. Perry (1929-2011), 1 Spring Street (Shell House), VHR H2365 Shell Mace was commissioned for Shell House by the architect Harry Seidler. It is made of cast aluminium coated with gold coloured paint, and is 8.5m high. The sculptural effect of the building – mainly its curved and interlocking shell like shape – is enhanced by Shell Mace. Charles O. Perry was inspired by nature and geometry and Shell Mace is classified as one of his planar works. There are two other works by Charles O. Perry in Australia, one in and one in Sydney.

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Both these works have a lot in common with Forward Surge. Shell Mace and Forward Surge are fully abstract while the Olympic Pylon is partially abstract. All three were considered to be an integral part of their sites and perhaps because if this, created little controversy when they were installed. And all three were commissioned by modernist architects and demonstrate the importance that sculpture was given by architects of this era. This links to the beliefs of the founders of Modernism such as who said “Let us together create the new building of the future which will be all in one: architecture and sculpture and painting.”

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Comparison – Type – Abstract modernist sculptures (not in the Victorian Heritage Register)

Place 6 - Vault, 1978-80, by Ron Robertson-Swann (1941- ), ACCA This is a large fabricated steel sculpture painted yellow and originally installed in City Square. When it was unveiled in May 1980 (ten months before Forward Surge was installed), it was loudly criticised, mocked and reviled and moved to Batman Park 1981 where it remained until it was relocated to its present site outside ACCA in 2002. Vault has been cited as an early test of abstraction's acceptability in Melbourne, and this work seemed to challenge the public's perception of taste and beauty more than any other work. In contrast Forward Surge has had a neutral or positive reception critically and publically, and seems to have been successfully integrated into the wider community. Both works were designed for people to publically interact with and both succeed in doing this. https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/v/c/h/2/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x 349.glvcel.png/1463710273470.jpg

Place 6 - Untitled 8/73, 1973 by Reg Parker (1925- ), Preston Library This work was commissioned for the then new Preston Library. It is a classic formalist abstract composition, consisting of multiple geometric `blocks' arranged in tumbling formation that, unlike King's Forward Surge, does not deploy subtle variations or invite the same degree of audience participation. It is also a much smaller, and more modest work.

Image by the City of Darbin

Place 7 - The Legend, 1991, by Anthony Pryor (1951-1991), This is an example of a later monumental abstract public steel sculpture with the upper part suggesting the movement of the football in play. Like Forward Surge, it was fabricated by J.K. Fasham. However, while people can walk below the sculpture and gaze up at the frenzied profusion of dynamic shapes, it does not invite participation and relaxation in the same way as Forward Surge. Commissioned by Daryl Jackson who describes The Legend as a “gateway, an arched figure through which people may journey to the game.” Image by the National Trust (Vic)

Place 8 - Plants Forms, 1959-60, by Lenton Parr (1924-2003), Chadstone Shopping Centre Plants Forms is one of Victoria's earliest abstract public sculptures. Forward Surge differs substantially from it in that it abandons expressionistic surface details and traces of the artist's hand. Instead the smooth surfaces of Forward Surge lend a degree of industrial anonymity that is offset by the subtle interplay of different curves.

Image by the National Trust (Vic)

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Comparison – Type - Sculptures as part of landscape

Place 5 - John F. Kennedy Memorial, 1965, by Raymond B. Ewers (1917-1998), Lorand Sebestyen (1901- 2005) and unknown architect, Treasury Gardens, VHR H1887 This work consists of a small figurative bronze portrait of John F. Kennedy by Raymond B. Ewers and a plaque, both of which are set into a granite boulder surrounded by bluestone crazy paving and large and small river stones. There is a low wall between the boulder and the pond and a bronze flagpole. The site was designed by City of Melbourne staff - the city architect (name unknown) and Lorand Sebestyen, then the Superintendent of Parks and Gardens (who later worked on the landscaping at the Arts Centre while employed by Roy Grounds’ studio).

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Treasury_Gardens_JFK_Memoria l.jpg

Place 6 - Awakening, 1969 by Clement Meadmore (1929-2005), AMP Square, Bourke St, Melbourne, 1969- 2010. Tarrawarra Museum of Art, 2010 to present. Classified by the National Trust B6315. (Not in the Victorian Heritage Register) The AMP square complex was originally made up of the AMP Tower, St James Building, the paved plaza and the Awakening sculpture. The National Trust considered the square to be a unique Australian example of a minimalist sculptural approach to the design of a large commercial project. In 2010 Awakening was moved to Tarrawarra Museum of Art. Meadmore's work arose from his attempts to translate a simple geometric form into something new by bending and twisting. In addition, where King was concerned with community engagement, Meadmore was more preoccupied with purely formal problems. Both works demonstrate key strands of development in international late modernist sculpture. Both Forward Surge and Awakening (until it was moved recenlty) are highly visible public examples of work by internationally significant sculptors. Awakening by Clement Meadmore at the AMP Plaza. NLA http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137670559

Awakening by Clement Meadmore at Tarrawarra Museum of Art. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2840/9339137413_dfc5eb94e7 _b.jpg

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SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS Public sculpture commissioned in Victoria up to the late 1950s generally had a memorial or commemorative function and consisted of full-scale figures of eminent people in traditional materials of bronze or stone. There are many examples of these types of sculptures in Victoria, such as the Robert Burns Statue and the Marquis of Linlithgow Memorial. Forward Surge is very different to these in style because it is abstract and has no memorial or commemorative functions. However it is similar in that it was designed to be an important part of a landscape or site, and remains in its original location in that landscape/site – unlike many other modernist sculptures.

The abstract style of Forward Surge exhibits distinguishes it as a modernist work and is typical of the way that modernist sculpture rejected traditional representations of the world. In this aim it is similar to significant abstract Victorian sculptures such as the Olympic Pylon, Awakening, Vault and Shell Mace. King was trying to create changing sensations of form, space and light as people walk through and around the sails. Shell Mace also aims to create changes in light and shadow for the spectator but the public cannot interact with it. Both Inge King and Ron Robertson-Swann intended that the public could interact with their sculptures - Vault and Forward Surge. Forward Surge is less well known than Vault probably due to the lack of controversy over its installation.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dr Jane Eckett, National Trust Public Art Committee, who has researched and published extensively on Inge King and post WWII émigré sculptors. Jo Tanaka-King and Angela Hey (Inge King’s daughters). John Fasham and Ben Fasham of J.K. Fasham. John Fasham, the founder of the business, worked closely with Inge King to fabricate Forward Surge and his son Ben continues to maintain the sculpture. Fritz Suendermann who worked in the studio of Roy Grounds and Company. Felicity Watson, Advocacy Manager, National Trust of Australia (Victoria). Assoc. Professor Andrew Saniga, University of Melbourne. Assoc. Professor Conrad Hamann, RMIT University. Professor Philip Goad, University of Melbourne.

KEY REFERENCES USED TO PREPARE ASSESSMENT The nomination of Forward Surge was extensively copied for this assessment. It contained 69 references. Judith A. Trimble, 1996, Inge King: Sculptor, East Roseville, NSW: Craftsman House in association with G+B Arts International Allom Lovell & Associates and Goad, Philip, 1995, Victorian Arts Centre Conservation Management Plan , 1979, James Gleeson interviews Inge King., National Gallery of Australia, Canberra https://nga.gov.au/Research/Gleeson/pdf/King_Inge.pdf Andrew Saniga, 2012, Making Landscape Architecture in Australia, New South Books Brenda Niall, 2002, The Boyds: A Family Biography, Melbourne University Publishing Robin Grow, 2017, History of Snowden Park, Southbank Local News, http://www.southbanklocalnews.com.au/columns/detail/history_6134/ Amanda Bacon, 2008, Sculpture and Memorials, eMelbourne, School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM01342b.htm City of Melbourne, 2008, John F Kennedy Memorial, eMelbourne, School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM02050b.htm Rachel Roberts Communications, et al, 2009, Modernism http://www.australia.gov.au/about- australia/australian-story/modernism The Charles O. Perry Studio, Charles O. Perry, http://www.charlesperry.com/sculpture/style/planar/ When Art Meets Architecture, 2014, Penelope Seidler AM talks about her extraordinary 50- year collaboration with her husband, Harry Seidler AC, Sydney Living Museums https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/when-art-meets-architecture East Link Sculpture Park booklet https://www.eastlink.com.au/images/documents/EastLink-sculpture-park- booklet-July-2017.pdf Bauhaus, The Art Story http://www.theartstory.org/movement-bauhaus.htm

PROPOSED TEXT FOR THE BLUE HERITAGE PLAQUE Forward Surge is a monumental, abstract, public sculpture made by renowned Australian sculptor Inge King (1915-2016). Roy Grounds (1905-1981), the architect of the Arts Centre, commissioned Forward Surge for the Arts Centre Lawn in 1973. It was fabricated by J.K. Fasham and was installed in 1981.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES

Forward Surge and the Arts Centre, August 2017

Forward Surge and Hamer Hall, August 2017

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Forward Surge viewed from St Kilda Road inside the covered walkway, June 2017

Forward Surge viewed from St Kilda Road, obscured by the covered walkway, June 2017

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The stairs from Arts Centre Lawn to Hamer Hall showing the edge of the top curved garden bed and start of narrow garden bed at the back of the Arts Centre Lawn. The bins also appear to be original. August 2017

Garden beds next to Hamer Hall, August 2017

The circular garden bed in front of the Arts Centre, August 2017

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The Arts Centre Lawn and roof of covered walkway, August 2017

Forward Surge looking towards St Kilda Road, August 2017

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Detail of mortar used for landscape elements, Arts Centre Lawn, August 2017

Inge King with Rings of Saturn, image undated. The Australian, 26 April 2016. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/obituary-sculptor-inge-king-of-forward-surge-fame-dead-at-100/news- story/7ea66fa2eab9c37fcb19c02ed7f47250

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Forward Surge, 1992 showing people interacting with it and the original landscape behind. Image by Rennie Ellis, SLV http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/171618

Play me, I’m Yours event, 2014, showing one of the uses of the Arts Centre Lawn. One of the pianos was placed beneath one of the waves of Forward Surge http://timable.com/en/event/1429014

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Skateboarder on Forward Surge. From a website which includes a listing of sculptures which

Base of Forward Surge showing two kinds of children can interact with. http://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp- bluestone pavers and skateboard stops, August content/uploads/2016/01/Forward-Surge-by-Inge-King.jpg 2017

Scratched paint, August 2017

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HISTORIC IMAGES

Snowdon Park, Postcard from the collection of Kew Historical Society https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/599a1e3421ea691414c67e44

Snowden Park showing Wind Fountain (designed 1957, installed 1960) by http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/169455

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Forward Surge under construction, 1975-6, photograph by Grahame King; Canberra: NGA research library, King papers, MS 80.

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Forward Surge during installation, 22 March 1981, prior to painting, showing extent of concrete foundations, photograph courtesy J.K. Fasham

Arts Centre Melbourne (1983) © Ian D Smith http://40yearsof.Arts.Vic.Gov.Au/Pages/Seventies/Milestone14/

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