Image: Hon Tony Burke MP and Nick Mitzevich, Director, National Gallery, 2026 with Jackson Pollock, Blue poles, 1952, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, purchased 1973, © Pollock-Krasner Foundation. ARS/Copyright Agency
Jackson Pollock’s 1952 painting ‘Blue poles’ will go on display at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth from April to September 2027, on loan from the National Gallery of Australia through the Australian Government’s Sharing the National Collection program.
The National Gallery says the painting has never been seen in Western Australia, and that this is the first time it has been loaned to an Australian venue since 2003. With capital works underway in Kamberri/Canberra, the loan keeps the work on display rather than in storage.
‘Blue poles’ was purchased by the Australian Government in 1973. It is currently included in the National Gallery’s ongoing ‘International Art’ display in Level 1, Gallery 10, in Canberra, where admission is free.
The painting also features in ‘The Art of Mathematics’, an audio tour and video series in which mathematics teacher, author and YouTuber Eddie Woo explores mathematical principles in key works from the national collection. The series includes Lindy Lee’s ‘Ouroboros’, Bert Flugelman’s ‘Cones’ and the original Brutalist design of the Gallery building alongside Pollock’s painting.
As of 30 June 2026 the National Gallery reports that more than 2.1 million Australians have engaged with more than 327 Sharing the National Collection loans at 42 galleries and cultural venues across every state and territory. Other loans newly on display include works by Margaret Olley, the Hermannsburg Potters and video artists at regional galleries in Temora, Tweed Heads, Wanneroo and Logan.
