Cultural and creative life

Blasting colour: See the evolution of Ash Keating’s first outdoor mural project in Sydney

‘Gravity System Response’ transforms a bland corner of Sydney into a colourful abstraction.

  • The before shot

    A spectacularly unspectacular brown canvas.

    Credit: The Noun Collective
  • Prepping, prepping, prepping

    Before one splosh of paint hit the wall, Ash spent 2 days mixing paint, filling and pressurising extinguishers.

    Credit: The Noun Collective
  • Mind the grass

    Every great painter uses drop cloths.

    Credit: The Noun Collective
  • Ready, aim, fire

    Using approximately 350L of paint, Ash fired layer upon layer of paint to bring his illusive composition to life. He crafts through gestures and intuition.

    Credit: The Noun Collective
  • The tools

    Ash used 80 x 9.1L water type fire extinguishers, mostly half-filled so it was easier to haul them up and down the hill beside the wall.

    Credit: The Noun Collective
  • The sweep

    Painting: It’s a workout.

    Credit: The Noun Collective
  • More hosing

    Ripping dripping.

    Credit: The Noun Collective
  • Rugged beauty

    Rugged beauty

    Credit: The Noun Collective
  • The after shot (on a very blue-sky Sydney day)

    No more mission brown.

    Credit: The Noun Collective

Embedded content: https://cityofsydney.wistia.com/medias/54m7dyryii

Gravity System Response was curated by Billie and Elliot Routledge of FUNSTUDIO for Art & About Sydney.

To find it, head down through the park beside the Art Gallery of NSW towards Woolloomooloo. Gravity System Response is on the wall opposite the big matchsticks (officially known as Brett Whiteley’s Almost Once) behind the art gallery.

View the marked section on the map below.

Published 15 March 2019, updated 25 March 2024