PERTH.- The Art Gallery of Western Australia announced an historic moment for the State: Jackson Pollock’s iconic masterpiece Blue poles will be exhibited in Western Australia for the very first time in April 2027.

This extraordinary loan from the National Gallery of Australia through the Sharing the National Collection program marks a major cultural milestone and a rare opportunity for Western Australians to encounter one of the most influential works of modern art.

Painted in 1952, Blue poles is a defining example of Pollock’s radical poured paint technique. Stretching almost five metres across, the work features eight bold blue black vertical forms that anchor a dynamic field of drips, splashes and rhythmic movement.

Created at a pivotal moment in Pollock’s career, it stands as one of his last major abstract paintings and remains a touchstone of 20th century art. When the Australian Government acquired Blue poles in 1973 for $1.3 million, then a record price for an American painting, it ignited national debate about public spending, artistic value and Australia’s cultural ambition.

Today, the painting is regarded as one of the country’s most treasured artworks, valued at more than $500 million and recognised globally as a masterpiece. It is also the most viewed artwork in the National Gallery’s history.

AGWA Director Colin Walker said: “Welcoming Blue poles to Western Australia is an extraordinary moment for our State. This is one of the great works of modern art and a painting that has shaped national debate, inspired generations and become a symbol of Australia’s cultural confidence. To finally bring it to AGWA is both a privilege and a triumph. We look forward to sharing this masterpiece with the people of Western Australia and creating a major cultural event that will be remembered for years to come.”

Despite its fame, opportunities to see Blue poles (originally titled Number 11, 1952) outside Canberra have been exceedingly rare. The painting toured Australia in 1974 but never reached Western Australia. Since then, it has travelled only a handful of times, including to MoMA in New York, and the Tate and Royal Academy of Arts in London. More than fifty years after its acquisition, Blue poles has still never been shown in WA, until now.

Bringing Blue poles to AGWA represents a cultural coup for Western Australia and a moment of immense pride for the State. Its presentation will be accompanied by a dynamic program of public events, talks and community engagement activities designed to deepen understanding of Pollock’s legacy and celebrate this remarkable chapter in Australia’s cultural history.





“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 Colin Walker.

“It’s been an ambition for the work to come to Western Australia for many years. We began initial conversations with National Gallery Director Nick Mitzevich back in 2021, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see that long held vision realised.”

Dr Nick Mitzevich, National Gallery Director said: “When Jackson Pollock’s Blue poles entered the national collection, it signalled ambition, confidence and belief in the importance of art to national life. More than 50 years later, sharing this extraordinary work with audiences across Australia sustains that vision.

“Through the Sharing the National Collection program and with the support of the Australian Government, we are proud to bring one of the Gallery’s most significant works to Australian audiences in Western Australia – who otherwise may never have the opportunity to see it.”

This work of art is on loan from the National Gallery of Australia with support from the Australian Government as part of Sharing the National Collection. #artacrossaustralia

Coming to AGWA April 2027 – September 2027. Free exhibition.

Jackson Pollock was an influential American painter, and the leading force behind the abstract expressionist movement in the art world. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. Jackson Pollock's greatness lies in developing one of the most radical abstract styles in the history of modern art, detaching line from colour, redefining the categories of drawing and painting, and finding new means to describe pictorial space.

Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming in 1912. During his early life, Pollock experienced Native American culture while on surveying trips with his father (a farmer). Although he never admitted an intentional imitation or following of Native American art, Jackson Pollock did concede that any similarities were probably a result of his "early memories and enthusiasm."

In 1929, Jackson Pollock studied at the Students' League in New York. During the early 1930s, he worked in the Regionalist style, and was influenced by Mexican muralist painter Diego Rivera, as well as by certain aspects of Surrealism - a 20th-century literary and artistic movement that attempts to express the workings of the subconscious by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtaposition of the subject matter.

In November 1939, The Museum of Modern Art in New York City mounted an important Picasso exhibition entitled: Picasso: 40 Years of His Art, which contained 344 works of Pablo Picasso and his famous anti-war mural, Guernica. The exhibit led Pollock to recognize the expressive power of European modernism, which he had previously rejected in favour of American art. He began to forge a new style of semi-abstract totemic compositions, refined through obsessive reworking.

In the decades following World War II, a new artistic vanguard emerged, that introduced radical new directions in art. The movement became known as Abstract Expressionism. Jackson Pollock, among other Abstract Expressionists, anxiously aware of human irrationality and vulnerability, expressed their concerns in abstract art that chronicled the ardour and exigencies of modern life. By the mid-1940s, Jackson Pollock introduced his famous 'drip paintings', which represent one of the most original bodies of work of the century, and forever altered the course of American art. At times the new art forms could suggest the life-force in nature itself, at others they could evoke man's entrapment - in the body, in the anxious mind, and in the newly frightening modern world. To produce in Jackson Pollock's 'action painting', most of his canvases were either set on the floor, or laid out against a wall, rather than being fixed to an easel. From there, Jackson Pollock used a style where he would allow the paint to drip from the paint can. Instead of using the traditional paintbrush, he would add depth to his images using knives, trowels, or sticks. This form of painting had similar ties to the Surreal movement, in that it had a direct relation to the artist's emotions, expression, and mood, and showcased their feeling behind the pieces they designed.

Blue poles

Blue poles, originally titled Number 11, 1952, is one of the most famous “drip” works by Jackson Pollock. It was purchased amid controversy by the National Gallery of Australia in 1973 and today remains one of the Gallery's major holdings.

At the time of the painting's creation, Pollock preferred not to assign names to his works, but rather numbers; as such, the original title of Blue poles was simply "Number 11"' or "No. 11" for the year 1952. In 1954, the new title Blue poles was first seen at an exhibition at the Sidney Janis Gallery and reportedly originated from Pollock himself.