Whipping the Wind Makes a Flashy Return

A landmark piece of modernist neon art from the 1980s is making a flashy, colourful comeback in Lambton Quay.

Whipping the Wind, a neon sculpture by Paul Hartigan, has been thoroughly reconditioned after being out of action for the best part of a decade. It fills 10 windows in a turret topping the podium of the Sybase Building on the corner of Lambton Quay and Ballance Street.

The sculpture was originally installed in 1988 on the completion of the building – then known as Landcorp House. The building developer funded and installed Whipping the Wind under the City Council's Art Bonus scheme – in return the Council allowed the height of the building to be increased by two floors.

The sculpture, featuring multiple neon tubes in a myriad of colours, also incorporated 10 separate electronic circuits with flasher units that allowed each ‘window' to flash on and off seemingly at random.

It was popular but also highly complex – and expensive and difficult to maintain. After a few years it began to falter and fail and so was eventually turned off.

Whipping the Wind has been upgraded and refurbished by Frampton Signs in a $19,000 project funded by the City Council and supported by the current building owner, Robt. Jones Holdings. Sign company owner Wayne Frampton says there has been extensive replacement of the neon and upgrading of the 20-year-old technology that supported and operated the lights.

Mr Frampton frankly describes the sculpture as a "nightmare of HT wire, electrodes and glass" and recalls that "sparkies used to hate working on it." However he believes the revamp will make the sculpture run better and be easier to maintain – therefore less likely to break down. "Neon signs are not maintenance-free – they wear out, become brittle and degrade over time when exposed to the elements like this sculpture – they just need regular specialist maintenance and a bit of TLC."

Mayor Kerry Prendergast is pleased to see Whipping the Wind back in action – "especially to mark the fact that the northern end of Lambton Quay is now busier after dark. There are more bars and restaurants down that part of town – along with the likes of the University's Pipitea campus – than there were in the late 1980s.

"Whipping the Wind also adds to the growing number of kinetic sculptures and other pieces of public art around the city. It's flashy and lively and fun."

Department Details:
External Communications