Over 1982 and 1983 Sidney Nolan grew increasingly interested in the
possibilities of working with spray paint on a large scale. He first
used the medium during his time working as a commercial artist at
Fayrefield Hats in Melbourne where he built a spray bay to paint
advertising hoardings in the late 1930s. With access to the
convenience of aerosol cans in a rainbow of vivid colours, he
completed the lyrical Illuminations series that title referencing the
long poetic text by Arthur Rimbaud that had been a touchstone for the
artist for over fifty years. A series of twelve large works,
Remembrances of my youth came shortly after, and each is untitled,
leaving open how we might read these works presenting the artist in a
darker frame of mind. This was a time of change again for Nolan,
including the passing of John and Sunday Reed at the end of 1981, the
end of his friendship with Albert Tucker and suffering a slight stroke
while working on sets at the Sydney Opera House. There was also new
energy through time spent at Bundanon with his wife Mary on the
Shoalhaven River, her brother Arthur and his wife Yvonne Boyd. CMAG
manages The Nolan Collection on behalf of the Australian Government.
collecting
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07/08/2021 Last update