Christopher Pease will unveil a major new artwork on the rooftop of the Art Gallery of Western Australia in July 2021. Pease and Gallerysmith have been working with the art gallery on the commission since January 2020 as part of the Elevate project, a redevelopment which is designed to bring an underutilised area of the art gallery to life. Pease’s work will be a major feature of the rooftop, enveloping three sides of the building.
Christopher Pease says: “”I want to create a work which will reflect the some of the history of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River). The installation will feature multiple layers that bring into focus ideas concerning art, history and identity. The work is derived from an historical image of the south eastern bank, not far from the current site of AGWA and will present a visual snapshot of the region at the time of first settlement when much of the land remained undisturbed.”
Pease is a Nyoongar/Minang man, and an artist known for his meticulous primary source research. He has drawn inspiration for this major commission from historical images in the collection of the Art Gallery. “My work will bring together markers of history, of time and of place,” he says and “will celebrate the historical significance of the site and the architecture of our great state art gallery.”