Wall Poem

‘No is a one word poem.’

Basil Hadley came to Australia from England in 1965. In his graffiti wall series, produced in Perth, he developed an enigmatic style characterised by a rugged surface treatment. At this time, he turned his attention from landscape to industrial sites, a theme that continued after he relocated to Adelaide in 1975.

Hadley won many prestigious awards and is nationally represented in numerous regional, tertiary and major corporate collections and all public state collections. His work is also held in the National Gallery of Australia and in public and private collections internationally.

Wall Poem was originally one of four paintings in a series. Hadley was commissioned to create the work by the Labour Party as a gift to former Premier Don Dunstan on his retirement. It was restored in 2003 with funds raised by Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation.