Sidney Nolan looms large over this exhibition of his early work, but his voice can’t always be trusted
Nolan’s statements about himself rub up against different realities in the exhibition Nolan: Origins at the Art Gallery of NSW
Sidney Nolan's (1917–92) early work is the focus of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Nolan: Origins exhibition, which spans his formative years from the late 1930s to his departure for the United Kingdom in 1953. Nolan's characteristic manner is evident in a wall-sized projection of filmed interviews where he speaks of life, art, and Australia in a thoughtful, direct, and quietly egocentric manner.
Like many artists, Nolan's approach to discussing his work has evolved over time, moving from humble studio talks to media-savvy interviews. Despite being a skilled speaker, Nolan's statements should not be taken at face value, as he sometimes played a teasing game of dangling then withdrawing promises of intimate revelation. Curator Denise Mimmocchi notes that some works in Origins, such as Cyclist (1945), depict Nolan's father embracing his white-clad wife at the end of an endurance race, while also containing an undeclared meaning.
Nolan himself was particularly concerned with what a painting could say and how, as evidenced by his correspondence with arts patron Sunday Reed. In paintings like Dimboola (1943), Nolan sought to capture the essence of Australia's national art, often resorting to enigmatic pronouncements and cryptic symbols to convey his artistic vision.
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