We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of NSW stands.

Alix Fairbairn William Street aglow

William Street aglow captures the pulsating energy of daily life in central Sydney. There is a sense of frenzied activity as far as the eye can see: the city never rests. This painting is one of a series of twilight street scenes. I am enchanted by that brief phase in the evening, during which the urban landscape takes on a strange, almost fairytale quality. Neon signs create an ethereal glow and car headlights cast a pearly sheen on the ground. In William Street aglow I aim to convey that sense of change as the city adjusts to the fading light.

Alix Fairbairn, 2012