Historical information

Ben Shearer is a weaver, textile designer, watercolour painter and teacher. He studied textile design in Geelong and Scotland, and worked as a commercial carpet designer before becoming a full-time weaver and painter. Shearer produced woven artworks between 1962 and 1980, before shifting his practice focus to watercolour paintings.

While Shearer’s watercolour practice now focusses on his interpretations of the Australian landscape, the influence of his earlier studies and work with textiles can be seen in the textured surface of his paintings.

Ararat Gallery TAMA began collecting textile art in the 1970s, during a period when textiles and fibre were being redefined as a contemporary art form rather than confined to craft traditions. While this artwork was donated to the TAMA Collection in 1997, the work was made in the 1970s, representing that pivotal era in Australian art history.