The extraordinary and varied career of Frank Norton, the Navy's first official artist in World War II and a pioneering director of the WA Art Gallery, is at the heart of a new exhibition.

Jim Cathcart, director of the Fremantle Arts Centre, said his team had tried to capture Norton's "complete life — not just as an artist but also someone who had an extraordinarily interesting life".

Frank Norton in Libya in 1942. ( Supplied: Australian War Memorial )

Norton trained as an artist in Sydney in the early 1930s and began to work for the Navy as a guest artist, as well as doing commercial work, including travelling on cruise ships to produce posters and publicity material.

In 1941 he was appointed as the Navy's first official war artist and recorded military activity across the world, from the Mediterranean to the Pacific.

"His career as a war artist obviously left a profound impression on him," Mr Cathcart said.

"His war art doesn't romanticise or heroise the individual servicemen and women, it's about life on the ship and the machine.

"It also spoke to his deep interest in ships and the sea."

A Norton oil sketch of the interior of a hangar. ( Supplied: Fremantle Arts Centre )

After the war Norton taught art in Sydney before moving to Perth in 1958 to take up the directorship of the WA Art Gallery.

His 18-year career at the helm of the gallery saw huge change for the institution.

"It's almost like a classic West Australian frontier story in a way," Mr Cathcart said.

Frank Norton (right) in 1968. ( Supplied: State Library of Western Australia )

"He came to Western Australia at a time when the gallery was still part of the museum and he did all the significant planning for the main building.

"He started collecting Aboriginal art; he was one of the first to collect Aboriginal art as art, not anthropology.

"It was really pioneering stuff, but I also think he really believed in the role of art and artists and its important place in society."

Norton also fought public battles to add modern art to the state collection, including a decision to buy a Henry Moore sculpture which caused a furore in the local press at the time.

All the while Norton kept up his own artistic career.

"He would work all day in his office and then he drew back a curtain and there was his studio and he would work there," Mr Cathcart said.

"During his whole time as a gallery director he maintained his career as an artist and also as a commercial artist.

Frank Norton's designs for the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games. ( Supplied: Fremantle Arts Centre )

"He was commissioned to design medals and images for the Perth Commonwealth Games in 1962.

"It almost seems unbelievable."

Throughout his career, Norton's love of boats and the sea endured and repeatedly drew him to Fremantle to paint the harbour and vessels that used it.

He left behind a large body of work depicting Fremantle of the 1960s and early '70s which are now held in public institutions around Australia.

Frank Norton's painting of Fremantle in 1966. ( Supplied: Fremantle Arts Centre )

Norton developed early onset dementia and retired from the gallery in 1976.

He was too unwell to attend the opening of the new building he had campaigned for in 1979 and died in 1983, aged 67.

More than three decades later the exhibition provided an opportunity for the public to rediscover the story of this creative pioneer and to see his life's work together in one place.

"His life story is as interesting as his art," Mr Cathcart said.

"He is an artist who worked all his life and as a person he did interesting and important things."

Frank Norton, Painter and Collector, is at the Fremantle Arts Centre until January 22.