8. The Pursuit 1970 - 1971

Curator: Here we have Sidney Nolan's "The Pursuit," part of the Tate Collections. The date of its creation is unknown. Editor: My initial reaction is one of stark isolation, despite the figures depicted. There's a palpable sense of desolation in the color palette. Curator: The ochre ground against the turquoise sky creates a spatial tension. Note the simplified forms and the juxtaposition of the organic horses with the geometric armor. Editor: The stylized armor brings to mind Ned Kelly, positioning this pursuit within the fraught history of colonial Australia, a land where Indigenous sovereignty was violently contested. Curator: Precisely. The flatness emphasizes the symbolic weight of the figures, reducing them to archetypes within the landscape. Editor: This artwork, though visually engaging, serves as a stark reminder of the violent foundation upon which Australia was built. Curator: Indeed, the painting embodies a visual dialectic between form and historical narrative. Editor: Ultimately, it demands that we confront the colonial past and ongoing legacies.