Glenrowan 1957

Sidney Nolan’s ‘Glenrowan’ at the Tate, it's hard to say when he made it, shows an interesting, angular figure painted with bold brushstrokes and a limited colour range. I imagine Nolan working on this, pushing the paint around, maybe changing his mind, adding a bit, taking away. The colours! That brooding blue sky set against the earthy browns of the buildings. Then, boom, the figure emerges holding what looks like a beam. He must have been thinking about the weight of history when he made this, maybe about how we build our own stories, layer by layer. The paint isn't too thick, but you can see the marks he's made, each one telling a story. It kind of reminds me of Guston’s later paintings, that same feeling of raw expression. You can see the dialogue between painters here. We’re all in this weird conversation, building on each other's ideas. Nolan is showing us that painting isn't just about what you see, but what you feel. It's about the process, the mess, and the magic of making something new.