Dimensions: image: 762 x 527 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Sir Sidney Nolan. All Rights Reserved 2010 / Bridgeman Art Library | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Sir Sidney Nolan's "Glenrowan" is a striking image, using what looks like wax crayon and ink. The limited palette and almost childlike rendering give it a disquieting feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The deliberate crudeness of the materials speaks volumes. Nolan wasn't aiming for technical perfection, but rather engaging with the raw, almost mythic construction of the Ned Kelly story within Australian culture. Consider the means of its making, its relation to the production of the Kelly legend itself. Editor: That's interesting, so you are saying the materials amplify the narrative? Curator: Precisely. The simple materials and the bold lines become a kind of shorthand for the complex social and historical factors surrounding Kelly's rebellion and its consumption. Editor: I never thought about it that way. The materiality really does contribute to the story's potency!
Comments
Join the conversation
Join millions of artists and users on Artera today and experience the ultimate creative platform.
GlenrowanOne of Nolan's principle sources of inspiration has been the legend of the 19th century Australian outlaw and folk hero Ned Kelly. Born in 1845, Edward ('Ned') Kelly was the son of an Irish convict and cattle thief. After spending three years in prison for receiving a stolen horse Kelly embarked, a the age of nineteen, on a career of horse and cattle stealing. Kelly subsequently graduated to robbing banks, forming a gang of outlaws whose exploits achieved notoriety. The metal body armour worn by the gang captured popular imagination. This painting relates to the Siege of Glenrowan in 1880, a gun-battle between the gang and police in which Kelly was finally captured. Gallery label, August 2004
CollectMore like this
