NevilleWilliamsArt

SPOTLIGHT ARTWORK

"Make the maze of life amazing" (2020)

(Theseus and the Minotaur)

(with a wink to Rosalie Gascoigne and a nod to John Coburn)

Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia

Size: 59cm (H) x 74cm (W)

Medium: Mixed media on cardboard jigsaw puzzle

PRIVATE COLLECTION

YOO are looking into a mirror.

The Minotaur and Theseus are both in us

and it's quite a maze inside there!

To find his way out of the maze Theseus carried a string

to mark the route and so find his way back to his own Eden.

In this story Theseus comes to understand that facing

the fears we all hold within us makes a more complete self.

It's OK to have a shadow.

The light and the dark are opposite halves of the same whole.

"Know thyself"*

...and you've found the source of your own happiness.

That's a Sun Tree to the left of artwork.

Put simply this artwork is a contemporary retelling

of the old adage "HOME SWEET HOME". NW☺︎

*Socrates

🔴

DISCOVERING A BIGGER PICTURE

Artwork: HOME OF LIGHT

Artist: Neville Williams (2025) © Arts Law Australia

Media: Acrylic paint on stretched canvas

Size: 100cm square x 3.5cm deep

POA

Everything you can see in the picture here is us.

We are the environment.

We are in it and of it.

Each of us is part of the greater whole.

And to appreciate or value our environment and our place in it both inside and outside ourselves we need to know ourselves…well.

Too many are holding onto too many outdated ideas, values and concepts that are separating us from the human being within us. We are so full-on with our busyness that we have become human doings rather than beings.

Perhaps the call to action for our time is:-

“Reconnection to our larger world environment, each other but most importantly ourselves.”

We need to say goodbye to old ways of seeing and doing. And that is a confrontation to what we have become.

It is we who have made our world complex and confusing. It is the duty of our stewardship and unique place in this creation to simplify and enjoy life. Such a conundrum that we are given the beautiful gift of a life and too much we get lost in a forest of our own ignorance.

Make your home of light on a hill and enjoy the view.

Perhaps the river in the picture is washing away the dark preparing us for the oncoming dawn?

What we can do is to want things to be better and if we can’t contribute to making it so then is it so difficult to get out of the way? Or does our pride and ego just constantly need feeding?

WALKING ON WATER

[CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE]

"To be, or not to be?"

Model: Endo

Size: 210cm W x 122cm H x 5cm D

Medium: Spray paints, varnish, wooden cut out figure,

heavy quality canvas stretched over wooden frame.

$3,000

The outlined figure could be any person seeking answers

driven to absolute choices by the crazy world in which we live.

The swimming pool is a symbol of the uncertainties we face in life.

Hence the message “CAREFUL DEEP WATER”.

Being pink it could also be 'hot water'.

Perhaps the repetitive tile pattern is a rigidity

or the formality of what life can be for so many?

The clear lacquered figure (to the right)

can catch the light when viewed at certain angles.

It is the same outlined cut-out figure that is throwing a shadow

across the scene (to the left).

These elements address in our lives the light and dark,

the bright spots and the shadows, to be present or not.

The silhouetted figure appears to be walking on the water

which can be a nod to the highest part of ourselves and the spirit to survive

or to rise above it all amidst the difficulties of life's many challenges.

The artwork title "To be, or not to be?" from Shakespeare's Hamlet

makes reference here to the choice each of us has every moment

'to be' either conscious and aware or 'not to be'

i.e. unconscious to ourself and the world around us.

That includes understanding the pain that we as individuals and others might suffer.

Ultimately it is a positive painting...

We need to acknowledge the darkness to appreciate the light. - Neville☺

IT'S MORE THAN BLACK & WHITE

SEE A BIGGER PICTURE

Title: "Dancin' to the same tune"(1997)

Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia

Size: 116cm (W) x 84cm (H)

Medium: Ink on cartridge paper (2 pieces)

PRIVATE COLLECTION

While acknowledging the tireless work of some in the area of Reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians

the whole process does look like needing a shot in the arm.

How can we bring about Reconciliation in any area of difference until

there are enough individuals who are “reconnected”

within themselves?

Everyone can participate in ‘reconnection'.

"Reconnection” places everyone on a level playing field...no excuses.

Isn’t it time for action? NW☺︎

The falling or flying man?

No matter which way yoo hang this artwork it works.

Man of Inner Strength(circa 1993)

Artwork inspired by Bill Paton a man of inner strength

[“Guang Rong de ren” 光荣的人（glorious man)]

Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia

Size: 120cm W x 133cm H

Medium: Pencil, acrylic, silver permanent indelible ink,

collage on stretched canvas, framed

PRIVATE COLLECTION

Can you find the falling/flying figure dominating this artwork?
Look past the obvious figures.

The figure I'm talking about is placed subliminally in the work.
And perhaps this figure isn't falling at all.
Perhaps the figure is flying. Depends on how you view the canvas!

The safest place though is when you have your feet on the ground! - Neville ☺︎

This poem appears in the artwork...

"Standing at the chasm's

brink

If you lean forward

just slightly more

You will begin to fall

into the bottomless

inevitable pit

Then with fear

forgotten

Falling

Becomes

Flying"

- Bill Paton

An overview of the artwork

"WHEN THE SPIRIT OF BENNELONG RETURNS"

Panel (4) detail “When the Spirit of Bennelong returns” (1991-1999)

Artist: Neville Williams & many others ©️Arts Law Australia

Total Size: 510cm W x 110cm H x 5cm D

(4 panels + 1 maquette sculpture)

Medium: Mixed Media

Following are Thomas Keneally's words

from Panel 4 of the complete artwork (shown below).

Mr. Keneally did mention that Peter Garrett had input here.

“WHEREAS THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE ARE DRAWN

FROM A RICH DIVERSITY OF CULTURES

YET ARE ONE IN THEIR DEVOTION

TO THE AUSTRALIAN TRADITION OF EQUALITY

THE FREEDOM OF THE PERSON

AND THE DIGNITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL;

WHEREAS AUSTRALIA IS AN ANCIENT LAND

PREVIOUSLY OWNED AND OCCUPIED

BY ABORIGINAL PEOPLE

WHO NEVER CEDED OWNERSHIP;

WHEREAS AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE LOOK TO SHARE FAIRLY

IN THE PLENTY OF THE COMMONWEALTH;

WHEREAS AUSTRALIA IS A CONTINENT

OF IMMENSE EXTENT AND UNIQUE IN THE WORLD

DEMANDING AS OUR HOME LAND OUR RESPECT

DEVOTION AND WISE MANAGEMENT.”

Thomas Keneally

PROPOSED PREAMBLE TO A NEW AUSTRALIAN CONSTITUTION

Wording reprinted here with Mr. Keneally's expressed permission.

This complete artwork was given to and kindly received as a gift by

NAISDA – National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association.

There were many contributors to the artwork.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE MORE DETAIL

ON THE WALLS OF BUREAUCRACY

WE ARE PUTTING IN OUR OWN WAY

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Title: "The Peoples Forum"(2020)

Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia

Size: 93cm (W) x 93cm (H) x 7.5cm (D)

Media: Collage, foil, acrylic on canvas framed with a cream mount

behind perspex within a natural Tasmanian Oak wood box frame.

$3,000

(CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

Artist's Synopsis

This artwork features ORICA HOUSE located in Melbourne used in the ABC TV / Working Dog series "UTOPIA" about a fictitious Federal Government instrumentality known as the NBA -Nation Building Authority. The series satirises the inanity of a government bureaucracy and pushes home a message that it’s a wonder that any nation building ever gets done with all the barriers we put in our way…and it is us who create this bureaucracy.

Rob Sitch who plays the central character in the TV series kindly supplied feedback noting...

"...That's very interesting that you picked that building....

we fell in love with it and sadly,

were only able to use it the very first season…

It was an utterly wonderful building to work in...

A great subject matter for your work." - Rob Sitch

Of course it's not the actual building that is the real villain here.

Nothing wrong with the building itself.

It is quite lovely in design both inside and externally.

But in this artwork it provides the metaphor of a mirrored wall reflecting back to us the lack of clarity that prevents us from seeing our deeper selves or what needs to be done to move us forward. This can be interpreted to be not only at government or business levels but from our own individual confusions, beliefs, values, ideas or whatever our unbridled, misunderstood thinking puts in our way to distract us.

In the artwork you can see that the lights are on but no one is there.

Most are elsewhere during Coronavirus! The head spaces are fully buzzing with a whole array of problems.

Buried within this wall of confusion is the matrix of a New Australian Flag that has been placed in a mixed mosaic form. (Our future is in us if only we could see it.) If you took the time you could piece the coloured blocks into an actual clear, workable, practical Flag design that gives respect to our collective past and present and also points an aspirational direction towards our future. (Anyone with common sense and patience could put the pieces together correctly).

I only initially revealed the completed version of the New Standard to two people - a First Nations Elder and a First Nations Warrior I have more recently revealed the design to a small hand full of proven leaders. And this week (2 Feb. 2026) the suggested design was provided to the Letters Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.

A new national flag is something that needs to be earned to give it value and appreciation of its significance.

You can see that the additional Flag almost invisible on top of the building is the ‘surrender’ flag. When we can surrender our confusions and belief systems that keep us going round in circles and reconcile the differences within inside ourselves then we can substitute a flag that actually says something solid. What we can see literally and curiously here is a blank space!

It may appear that the flag is flying at half mast. I’d prefer to see that it is in a process of being raised into its rightful position amongst the world’s great nations. The Australian Standard I’ve designed is most fit for purpose. I repeat, a flag though needs the value and support of many to mean something more than being just a good piece of graphic design.

The artwork is titled “THE PEOPLES FORUM”.

The path in the foreground leads around the wall of the building that is in the way.

The Peoples Forum (unseen here) is a place on the other side of this wall of, well, to be blunt…ignorance.

Ents (Philanthropy, Arts and Media) are shown guarding the path as wise guides along the way. - Neville ☺︎

FOOTNOTE:

Walls of bureaucracy are formidable and impenetrable requiring a lot of energy and resources to fortify over time or for anyone to try to penetrate.

That was evidenced in producing this artwork.

Cutting out and sticking on separately all those little building blocks of reflective foil obscuration gave me one helluva sore back and blurred my vision for a period.

I actually bled during the course of this wall’s construction. Cut my thumb open with the scalpel I was using. Bureaucracy of any sort is so very painful to deal with at any level (ground floor through to the top).

Talk about suffer for your art.

The bureaucracy of life we've created really does need simplifying.

Frankly, I'm too old and tired now to have anything to do with all of the carry on of both bureaucracy or politics at any level. It is all such a waste of creative energy.

My job is to create beautiful art and I will continue to do so until I can no longer. - Neville ☺︎

AND THE WALLS

COME TUMBLING DOWN

THE WALL (1993)

Size: 130cm W x 120cm H

Medium: Oils. Acrylic, Gold marker, Photographs,

newspaper clippings on stretched canvas, framed
This artwork no longer exists.

The following words appeared on the artwork

adjacent to photographs of The Wall at Green Park, Darlinghurst:-

“They built their wall

and judgements' cruelty drained their souls

and left them empty of self knowing

All that's left is their mark up on the stone

A memory in a mirror

They walked their wall

Their empty beggars bowls screaming silence

Hollowed by the siphons of a civilized society

A temporary fix of flight

Over in a night

They dignify their wall

and pointing fingers turn on themselves

The judged released from judgement

A bluebird rising to the sky

leads the way to discovering the light

And from these ashes

a greater phoenix will rise".

- Neville Williams

SUNSHINE IS COMING

Bill's Cafe (1993)
Size: Two panels combined 180cm W x 130cm H

Medium: Bitumen, Gold Leaf, Newsprint, Charcoal on board

PRIVATE COLLECTION

"In the cafe of outside time

The outdoor cafe of time

Find a place to seat yourself

Where, without coffee or cigarettes or wine,

You may observe the subtleties of gesture and concealment

Measure the ghostly vestments of relationships

Judge the balances of need

And if you hear amid the hard-won myths of memory

A bird's momentary song

It will be as if you had been permitted

A cold glass of pure water

Before being moved on by the management"

- Bill Paton

This artwork was inspired by the above poem by Bill Paton.

The painting shows people alone in a bar (on Oxford Street Darlinghurst)

The main figure sits head down on table.
In front of him is his glowing “cold glass of pure water”.

The empty cavernous space of the bar is being filled by the dawning light

flooding through the huge bay window on the right of the work.

There was nothing half measured about Bill Paton. A real artist.

Bill Paton left us too early in his talented life.

This artwork was awarded the Community Lawyers Art Prize (CLAP)

at the 1993 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
(And what a great year's Mardi Gras that was. It had real heart in it.)

(CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

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