As part of the furnishing for the Chifley Library I became concerned at the very long vista visible from the main entry and felt strongly that it needed a visually strong image to act as a focal terminal point that was totally different from the library type surroundings.
I knew John Coburn’s images were strong and most appropriate for this situation so I commissioned him to paint a large screen – dimensions determined by me from a screen I designed to stand in an opening at the end of the vista.
Regrettably I have no photo of that installation and the painting is now (2016) hung in the central lobby of the Research School of Biological Sciences but has much less impact due to its position and loss of architectural collaboration. It should be relocated.
The Chifley Building of the University Library has lost some of its purpose in ANU life.