14. Glenrowan 1970 - 1971

Editor: Sir Sidney Nolan's "Glenrowan" presents a stark scene with that iconic, boxy helmet figure. The almost childlike rendering is unsettling. What symbols stand out to you? Curator: The helmet itself is a powerful signifier. It's instantly recognizable as Ned Kelly, becoming a mask embodying defiance and the outlaw myth. The crude rendering lends emotional weight, simplifying him into an archetype of Australian rebellion. Editor: Rebellion against what? Curator: Against authority, the police, and perceived injustices. Consider the other recurring symbols: firearms, rural landscape, the police officers. These all carry associations with power structures and the struggle against them. It invites a discussion on cultural memory and how narratives of resistance are visualized. Editor: I see it differently now, the helmet isn't just a helmet, it is so much more. Curator: Indeed. These images echo and reshape collective memory.