Born in 1917 in Carlton, Sidney Nolan emerged as a central figure in 20th-century Australian art. His prolific career spanned painting, illustration, and visual arts, defined by a distinct commitment to figurative work during an era increasingly dominated by abstraction. He gained international recognition for reinterpreting the Australian landscape and its historical legends through a modernist lens.
Early Development and Technical Training
Nolan left school at fourteen and enrolled at the Prahran Technical College, part of Swinburne University of Technology. He later attended night classes at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School. His early professional experience involved working with spray paints and dyes at Fayrefield Hats in Abbotsford, an experience that influenced his later application of various media.
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During the 1940s, Nolan associated with the Angry Penguins movement and served as an editor for their magazine, illustrating the cover for the Ern Malley edition in 1944. He lived at Heide, the home of patrons John and Sunday Reed, where he became a key figure of the Heide Circle, which included artists such as Albert Tucker, Joy Hester, Arthur Boyd, and John Perceval.
The Ned Kelly Series
Nolan is widely recognized for his series depicting the bushranger Ned Kelly. Utilizing the motif of a black square to represent Kelly's armor, he animated the figure with simple eye slits, placing the outlaw against varied Australian outback landscapes. These works were intended not as authentic historical depictions, but as meditations on themes of injustice and the struggle against tyranny.
Recognition and Later Career
Over his lifetime, Nolan produced diverse works including Daisy Bates at Ooldea, Footballer, and The Trial. His contributions were honored with a Knight Bachelor in 1981, the Order of Merit in 1983, and the Companion of the Order of Australia in 1988. He was also a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts, and the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
Fast facts
- Born: 1917, Carlton
- Died: 1992, London
- Burial: Highgate Cemetery
- Movement: Angry Penguins
- Education: National Gallery of Victoria Art School; Swinburne University of Technology
- Notable Works: Daisy Bates at Ooldea; Footballer; The Trial
- Awards: Knight Bachelor (1981); Order of Merit (1983); Companion of the Order of Australia (1988)
Questions readers ask
What inspired the Ned Kelly series?
Nolan stated that the Ern Malley hoax poems inspired him to place a strange object—the armored figure—against the Australian bush.
Where is Sidney Nolan buried?
He is buried at Highgate Cemetery in London.
Achievements
- Knight Bachelor — 1981
- Member of the Order of Merit — 1983
- Companion of the Order of Australia — 1988
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- Notable work: Daisy Bates at Ooldea
- Notable work: Footballer
- Notable work: The Trial
- Movement: Angry Penguins
