DARWIN PLAQUE 10 OPERATING THEATRE

2002
Overview

A circular plaster mould. The mould features a scene of an operating theatre; two people are operating on a patient, a third is applying the anaesthetic while a fourth is squeezing the saline solution bottle. A large overhead light hangs above the theatre door, another nurse attends to something in the background.
G DARWIN 2001 written along the patient's side.

Historical information

Gerard Darwin worked as a commissioned artist to design ten plaques to be displayed at the Armadale Hospital. These are the original moulds used to cast the plaques. This plaque represents the doctors, nurses and surgeons who work at the Armadale Kelmscott Memorial Hospital, seen working in an operating theatre.
Gerard 'Gerry' Darwin was an award winning and internationally known sculpture. Born in 1928 in Lancashire, Great Britain, Gerry entered the Mill Hill Seminary to train as a priest where he also developed his interest in art and sculpture. Before completing his studies he left the seminary, married Agnes and moved to Kenya, taking up a job as an arts and craft teacher at a teacher training college. He and Agnes spent seven years in Kenya where Gerry produced several sculptural works carved from stone. They briefly returned to Britain before immigrating to Perth and moving to Roleystone in 1977.
He soon established himself as a sculpture, completing numerous sculptures for individuals, religious sculptures for the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth as well as commissioned pieces across Australia and around the world. Prominent works include a bust of Queen Labotzebeni of Swaziland, Sir Norman Brearley (Perth Airport), Saint Mary MacKillop, and busts of Saint Pope John Paul II and Saint Mother Teresa, both located at St Mary's Cathedral in Perth. A copy of the Saint Mary MacKillop was also produced for the Vatican Collection where Gerry already had other works.
Failing eye sight in 2009 saw Gerry start to slow down. His last major project was a sculpture of the 14 stations of the cross for St Mary's Cathedral. Gerry died in December 2020. His funeral mass was held at St Mary's Cathedral. His daughter Camilla Loveridge and his grand-daughter Ruth are also artists, both award winning painters with Ruth winning the Black Swan Youth Portraiture Price and Angelico Art Award.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-33-COA2015.52
Item type
Material
Width
495 mm
Inscriptions and markings

[G DARWIN]

Year
Statement of significance

This object is also part of a collection of items that tells the story of the creativity and ingenuity of members of the local community in relation to art, design and engineering/construction. The collection relates to the objects social, commercial, commercial and asthetic value and how an individuals or organisations creativity has impacted on both the local community and wider audiences or users.
Aesthetic:

Primary significance criteria
Artistic or aesthetic significance
Comparative significance criteria
Interpretive capacity
Object’s condition or completeness
Well provenanced
City of Armadale - History House

City of Armadale - History House

Organisation Details
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