A historic moment for Western Australia has been brought about by the Sharing the National Collection program, with an extraordinary loan from the National Gallery of Australia creating a rare opportunity for Perth to see one of modern art’s most influential works.
From Friday, April 30, to Sunday, September 5, 2027, Jackson Pollock’s iconic Blue poles will be exhibited at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA). Painted in 1952 and measuring almost five metres in width, the painting is one of the most famous examples of Pollock’s radical poured paint technique.
“Only around 1.5% of West Australians visit the National Gallery each year, which means our community is often disadvantaged in accessing works of national significance. Bringing Blue poles to Perth helps change that,” said AGWA Director Colin Walker, who has been working on bringing the painting to WA since 2021.
While the acquisition of Blue poles for $1.3 million in 1973 (then a record price for an American painting) sparked controversy and debate about public spending, artistic value and Australia’s cultural ambition, the painting is now regarded as one of the National Collection’s most treasured artworks. It is valued at more than $500 million, recognised globally as a masterpiece, and is the most-viewed artwork in the history of the National Gallery.
Blue poles is revered as a touchstone of 20th century art, but opportunities to view it outside of Canberra have been extremely rare – while the painting has toured to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Tate and Royal Academy of Arts in London, plus the rest of Australia when it was originally acquired, it has never made its way to Western Australia.
AGWA’s exhibition of Blue poles will be accompanied by a program of public events, talks, and community activities designed to deepen the understanding of Pollock’s legacy and celebrate the cultural moment for Western Australia.
Blue poles will be exhibited at the Art Gallery of Western Australia from Friday, April 30, to Sunday, September 5, 2027. The exhibition is free to enter.
