Stuart Elliott, Portrait of a Sailor 1984, acrylic paint, acrylic lacquer on cotton and board, steel chain, steel and wood frame, 83 x 37.5 x 5cm, collection of the artist. Photography by Rebecca Mansell.
Stuart Elliott, Fremantle,1988, wood, acrylic paint, cardboard, steel, china, sisal 261 x 210 x 84cm Commissioned by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre 1988 Donated to City of Fremantle 2018 City of Fremantle Art Collection no. 1516
Stuart Elliott’s Fremantle 1988 is a ‘fakeological’ dig through two hundred years of recent Western Australian history, from the time of invasion to commemoration of the national bicentenary in 1988.
Exhibited at FAC for the first time, Elliott’s imposing and interactive cabinet of horrors is a multi-levelled painted assemblage, full of eccentric dramatisations and exotic reminisces that shed light upon a web of powerful local and national stories of conflict and survival.
Overtly critical, poignant, nuanced and entertaining, Fremantle 1988 is a significant early work by the senior WA figurative artist. It was recently donated to the City of Fremantle Art Collection by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre.
This exhibition will also include a selection of painted assemblages from the artist’s collection and a unique visitor audio guide.
Curated by André Lipscombe and Stuart Elliott.
The City of Fremantle Art Collection, established in 1958, is the largest municipal collection in WA with over 1,500 works. The Collection’s focus on Fremantle artists and Australian prints celebrates the enduring importance of the visual arts to Fremantle.
Fremantle Arts Centre is situated at Walyalup on Whadjuk Nyoongar Boodjar.
Fremantle Arts Centre is situated at Walyalup on Whadjuk Nyoongar Boodjar. We acknowledge the Whadjuk people as the traditional owners and custodians of these lands and waterways and extend our respect to their Elders, past and present.
We offer our heartfelt gratitude to the Whadjuk community and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to care for Country and share their knowledge – this generosity and wisdom helps us to understand and navigate Country safely and respectfully.