Segment: Art Gallery of WA
Episode: 5
Air Date: 8th March 2020
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

Celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, the Art Gallery of Western Australia is home to some incredible pieces from WA’s very best artists.

• Situated in the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre, the Art Gallery of WA can be visited all days of the week except Tuesdays, and is free to enter.
• The Gallery houses the State Art Collection of nearly 18,000 works and is WA’s greatest visual asset. This collection is cared for on behalf of all Western Australians.
• The 6 Seasons gallery is one of Australia’s most important collections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, with over 3000 works in the collection giving a real sense of the deep and personal relationship the artists have with the country and the impact colonialism had on their culture.
• The chance to explore our own history and identity through the eyes of visual artists over the years is a truly special experience.
• Every year is a moment in time, and the Gallery shows what WA artists thought was contemporary and important at different times through history.
• The art on display can be engaging and occasionally quite challenging – but it is always authentically WA.
• There is an interesting mix of traditional and contemporary art works on display from prominent WA artists, including Guy Grey-Smith, Sandra Hill and Sally Morgan.
• There are some key works that are on display almost permanently due to their popularity, or their ability to tell an important story. Some paper works of art are quite sensitive to light, so can only be displayed for short periods.
• Frederick McCubbin’s ‘Down on His Luck’ is one of the Gallery’s stand out pieces, and was an early purchase.
• The Gallery holds works by WA artists, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and international artists.
• How you respond to the artwork may depend on how you’re feeling on the day – you never know exactly how a piece will make you react.

artgallery.wa.gov.au