Artist: Guy Ngan
Title: Untitled
Medium: Glass mosaic tiles
Dimensions: North & south faces: H3000mm x W6500mm; east and west faces: H3000mm x W12600mm.
Date: 1956
Original location: Penthouse, Bledisloe State Building, Bledisloe Lane, Tamaki Makaurau Auckland CBD
Architect: Gordon Wilson, Ministry of Works Architectural Division
Current location: In situ. Building now occupied by Auckland Council.
Heritage status: Considered item, listed by Auckland Council

Guy Ngan’s mosaic frieze for the Bledisloe State Building was completed in 1956. An advertisement from the time states that “the mosaic tiles were supplied and fixed to this penthouse tower by the skilled tradesmen of the wall and floor tiling division of J. H. M. Carpenter Ltd of Newmarket, Auckland.”

This mosaic later inspired artist Julian Dashper to create his painting Guy Ngan Mural, Bledisloe State Building, Auckland City, 1987. On the topic of this work, Dashper said: “I found Ngan’s mural interesting for a number of reasons – partly because as a kid my Dad worked in the building and so every Friday night I’d go and goof off in the building with the big mural – I was aware then that it was a big piece of art – an enormous work.” (Source: unknown. Copy included in Guy Ngan: Scrapbook number one. Auckland: Ron Sang, 2010, p.41).

East profile of Guy Ngan’s Bledisloe State Building penthouse frieze, 1956. Image: Aerialsmiths, courtesy of Auckland Council, 2019, edited by Bronwyn Holloway-Smith

South profile of Guy Ngan’s Bledisloe State Building penthouse frieze, 1956. Image: Aerialsmiths, courtesy of Auckland Council, 2019, edited by Bronwyn Holloway-Smith

West profile of Guy Ngan’s Bledisloe State Building penthouse frieze, 1956. Image: Aerialsmiths, courtesy of Auckland Council, 2019, edited by Bronwyn Holloway-Smith

North profile of Guy Ngan’s Bledisloe State Building penthouse frieze, 1956. Image: Aerialsmiths, courtesy of Auckland Council, 2019, edited by Bronwyn Holloway-Smith

South-west profile of Guy Ngan’s Bledisloe State Building penthouse frieze, 1956. Image: Aerialsmiths, courtesy of Auckland Council, 2019, edited by Bronwyn Holloway-Smith