Sidney Nolan heads

Australian artist Sidney Nolan (1917-1992) was famous for his landscapes and for his Kelly series (1945-47) depicting the legendary bush ranger. But he also painted a series of heads.

The Canberra Museum + Gallery is currently presenting the Sidney Nolan “Remembrances of my youth” series of abstract heads. The exhibit runs until May 4, 2014.

The abstract heads focus on character rather than detail or appearance. One of the first heads he painted was Head of Rimbaud in 1938-39 based on the French poet, Arthur Rimbaud. Throughout Nolan’s artistic career, Rimbaud was a source of inspiration.

The exhibit shows 14 heads produced in 1983 that evoke memories of his childhood. All of the works were created with a spray-can, which is a reference to his days working for an advertising company creating signs. In the early 1980s he produced his first series of spray-can art, called “Illuminations.” “Remembrances of my youth” is his second series – said to represent “exhilarating boldness.”

http://www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/cmag/

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