New exhibition explores artist and western suburbs icon 'the walking man'

A new exhibition featuring the ‘walking man’, a well-known local figure renowned for his long walks along Stirling Highway to the ocean will open at The Naval Store in Fremantle next month.

Ross Seaton: The Master of Nedlands is part of UWA Away – a series presenting UWA's arts and cultural programs at venues off campus – and will run from Saturday December 5 to 13, from 12 noon till 5pm daily.

For many Western Australians, Ross Seaton (1944-2020) was the ‘walking man’, who created extraordinary paintings and drawings in his front garden in Nedlands during the past 30 years. The artworks documented his complex and interdisciplinary view of the world. 

Ross Seaton: The Master of Nedlands curator Professor Ted Snell who is also Director of Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery said Mr Seaton was an important part of Perth’s history.

“He was uncommunicative, yet mysterious and compelling, and his determined, focused and self-directed quest seemed so laudable in an increasingly controlled world,” Professor Snell said.

“He was his own man, a Don Quixote with his wheel-barrow Rocinante, setting out each day to find meaning in the world.”

For more than five decades Mr Seaton dedicated himself to finding truth and communicating that wisdom to others. 

The book Ross Seaton: Walking Man, will be published concurrently, and the exhibition is an opportunity to see the world through his eyes and gain deeper insight into how one individual can make a unique contribution to our understanding and enjoyment of the world.

The first large-scale exhibition devoted to his work brings together a selection of Mr Seaton's compelling works to document the artist's unique vision.

An online exhibition accessible through the LWAG website will complement The Naval Store exhibition.