This sculpture was the first large, abstract public artwork to be commissioned in Auckland. Created by Marté Szirmay, who was a graduate student at Elam School of Fine Arts, the sculpture is made up of eight interlocking aluminium pieces.



With a seemingly brutalist look and feel, and made from utilitarian materials, *Smirnoff Centenary Sculpture* was designed to remind passersby of the industrial history of Newmarket. The highly reflective surfaces were also intentional, mirroring the hustle and bustle of the surrounding streets. Using manufactured materials and reflective finishes became a familiar characteristic of the artist’s work.



Szirmay won the first Smirnoff Sculpture award, which included the commission to create this sculpture for the Newmarket Borough centenary celebrations. It was installed at the intersection of Khyber Pass and Broadway in October 1969. In 2010, as part of an upgrade of the green space on the corner known as Lumsden Green, the sculpture was moved to its current site, closer to Broadway.

Smirnoff Centenary Sculpture

Large in size yet delicate in its detailing, this artwork adds visual interest to the busy retail corner of Khyber Pass and Broadway in Newmarket. The reflective stainless steel disc is marked with hundreds of elliptical spheres that both frame and reflect back the surroundings. In the centre of the sculpture is a circular opening which, according to sculptor Virginia King, plays on the concept of a lens.



The look and feel of this artwork is very utilitarian, referencing man-made machinery parts like wheels and plough discs. It is also inspired by microorganisms found in nature, which is a recurring theme in King’s sculptural works.



*Sliver* was created in 2007 and originally installed in the rural farmland of Brick Bay Sculpture Trail in Matakana, north of Auckland.This artwork was the second project to be completed by the Newmarket Arts Trust and gifted to Auckland Council in 2014.





"The work can be seen as a meditative form, of silence and of the Zen void. It is a symbol of life and of death, good and evil, an archetypal symbol of time, of the cosmos and eternity," says King.

Sliver

This cluster of nine egg-shaped fibreglass sculptures are perched at different angles around Teed and Osborne Streets in Newmarket, adding an element of surprise to the neighbourhood. The oversized eggs have a surreal quirkiness to them, while the colours — orange, red, yellow, turquoise, black and white — make them unmissable.

Eggs and other circular shapes are a recurring theme in Oh's works. By bringing organic shapes and his signature humour to this urban environment, the lively artworks challenge people's perceptions as they make their way through one of Auckland's most popular fashion, shopping and entertainment precincts.

This artwork was commissioned by the Newmarket Arts Trust in 2010, with the support of the Newmarket Business Association. It was Oh's first public artwork project. Initially titled *Globgob*, the work was renamed *Knocknock* by the artist in 2017.

Knocknock

Drawing from the past, *Heliograph* celebrates the diverse character of Newmarket. The tall sculpture echoes in part Te Tī Tūtahi (the lone cabbage tree) that once stood at the corner of Mortimer Pass and Broadway. The tree was sacred to Māori and was a well-known landmark in the area.

Teed Street, formerly known as Market Street, is one of Newmarket's oldest commercial streets, home to the original Buckland Cattle Market. Over the generations the precinct has been home to Chinese markets, nearby sawmills, bakeries and ironmongers, in particular Hayes Metals Limited, which was located opposite the sculpture.

The fluid ribbon at the top of the artwork moves slowly with changes in the wind, reflecting the ebb and tide of people and places in this busy district.

Heliograph was commissioned by the Newmarket Arts Trust in 2017 and gifted to Auckland Council.

Marté Szirmay

Smirnoff Centenary Sculpture

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