The end of the age of coal is in sight in the Hunter Valley. The Liddell power station, the backbone of electricity supplies in NSW and operational since 1971, has closed and deconstruction has begun. This is a significant moment not just for Liddell, but for the communities that have been in relationship with the power station throughout the lifecycle of the plant. It is important to understand how Liddell is not just a work of engineering, but a complex creature that is social, ecological, spiritual, and cultural.
AGL (owner of Liddell) has acknowledged the entanglement of human emotion with the closure of Liddell by engaging Arts Upper Hunter to work with a selection of artists to document what is not engineering and economics. Penny and Mel, two recipients of the LiddellWorks artist residency, have made onsite visits and started on works that access how knowledge and place can be conveyed without words.
This paper reflects on work with fly ash from the Liddell power station. Ash is a toxic, abrasive waste product resulting from coal when it is burnt as part of the process to generate power. The artists seek to create bowls out of ash waste to speak to the requirement of offering tender care and nurture in consideration of our ethical relations with the earth. Art offers a storied and accessible model of the uncomfortable interactions between humans and place.