Tied to Tide

PROJECT DATE : 2010-2015
project
Tied to Tide
client
City of Sydney
services
Public Art, Objects Conservation

Overview

Tied to Tide is a kinetic sculpture by artists Jennifer Turpin and Michaelie Crawford located on Sydney Harbour at Pyrmont Point. It was installed in 1999 and is constructed from timber, stainless steel, aluminium and fibreglass. Counter-balanced, maritime-red ladders pivot at the end of eight paired timber arms connected by floats to the water which transmit the movement of the tide, wind and waves.

ICS was contracted by the City of Sydney for the annual maintenance and conservation of this sculpture in 2010.

Condition

The combination of its marine location and many moving parts places enormous demands on the sculpture.

Treatment

Annual maintenance has included:

  • Cleaning of stainless steel elements
  • Lubrication of bearings
  • Application of protective coating on timber surfaces
  • Removal of marine growth
  • Replacement of broken stainless steel rigging elements

ICS also undertook a detailed condition assessment of the sculpture and developed options for longer-term conservation repairs to key elements of the sculpture. Subsequent conservation repair works have included:

  • In situ replacement of bearings to the fibreglass counterweights
  • Modification and replacement of protective sheathing to the structural timber elements to prevent marine borer attack

project
Tied to Tide
client
City of Sydney
services
Public Art, Objects Conservation
Sheathing replacement during treatment
Sheathing replacement after treatment

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