Leon Pericles

The Spirits Within Parmelia / Hilton Commission

181 x 538.5 cm

acrylic and mixed-media with construction and chosen objects on canvas

The Spirits Within
the story

Leon Pericles AM depicts a historic map of Western Australia from early settlement to the present, layered on the ancient land. Subtle marking can be seen to represent the many spirits of the Aboriginal people of Western Australia who have held this coast and vast landscape in their care for more than 60,000 years. It is this country and the spirits within the earth that are the hidden foundation of this large and complex work.

Historic sites, the ever-present Australian larrikin and the many cultures from foreign shores who with their families, skills and talents contributed to the growth and prosperity of this huge state, combine to create a stretched-out map which honours the traditional owners and the many generations who have built present-day Western Australia.

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The Spirits Within was nearly two years in the making from concept to installation. The original painting and mixed-media work is on a single canvas over five meters long and nearly two meters high. Leon has incorporated constructed boxes, shelves and a wonderous collection of chosen objects into the canvas. Leon spent 10 months painting and constructing in his Margaret River studio. It was an epic extraction over the second storey balcony into a full-sized moving truck for its journey to Perth where it was precisely installed into the marble wall niche specifically designed to house the work at the hotel. After the installation Leon was caught on numerous occasions headed into the hotel with paints in hand where he continued to add more detail and storylines for at least another 4 months (at one time erecting scaffolding in the busy lobby to finish the upper parts). The result is a magnificent tribute to Western Australian history and testament to Leon’s skill and dedication to his craft.

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Leon thanks the Wens and Hawaiian Group for choosing him to create this unique work and for giving it such a prestigious home where it can be seen and enjoyed. The Spirits Within can be viewed in the Lobby of the Parmelia Hilton Hotel in the Perth CBD.

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Description

The Spirits Within

the story

Leon Pericles AM depicts a historic map of Western Australia from early settlement to the present, layered on the ancient land. Subtle marking can be seen to represent the many spirits of the Aboriginal people of Western Australia who have held this coast and vast landscape in their care for more than 60,000 years. It is this country and the spirits within the earth that are the hidden foundation of this large and complex work.

Historic sites, the ever-present Australian larrikin and the many cultures from foreign shores who with their families, skills and talents contributed to the growth and prosperity of this huge state, combine to create a stretched-out map which honours the traditional owners and the many generations who have built present-day Western Australia.

The Spirits Within was nearly two years in the making from concept to installation. The original painting and mixed-media work is on a single canvas over five meters long and nearly two meters high. Leon has incorporated constructed boxes, shelves and a wonderous collection of chosen objects into the canvas. Leon spent 10 months painting and constructing in his Margaret River studio. It was an epic extraction over the second storey balcony into a full-sized moving truck for its journey to Perth where it was precisely installed into the marble wall niche specifically designed to house the work at the hotel. After the installation Leon was caught on numerous occasions headed into the hotel with paints in hand where he continued to add more detail and storylines for at least another 4 months (at one time erecting scaffolding in the busy lobby to finish the upper parts). The result is a magnificent tribute to Western Australian history and testament to Leon’s skill and dedication to his craft.

Leon thanks the Wens and Hawaiian Group for choosing him to create this unique work and for giving it such a prestigious home where it can be seen and enjoyed. The Spirits Within can be viewed in the Lobby of the Parmelia Hilton Hotel in the Perth CBD.

Additional information

Dimensions	538.5 × 181.0 cm
ag_artwork_year	2020
ag_artwork_status	Sold
ag_medium_text	acrylic and mixed-media with construction and chosen objects on canvas