Sidney Nolan

Intriguing exhibition at Ikon Gallery, Birmingham of late work by the Australian artists Sidney Nolan to mark 100 years since his birth.

I only know Nolan though his iconic Ned Kelly pictures but these later works were large portraits done in spray paint when he was living for the last 14 years of his life on the Welsh-Midlands border. The earlier series were of people Nolan had known such as Francis Bacon and Benjamin Britten while the later ones feature Aboriginal subjects and in particular the those who were the subject of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

The Aboriginal work had an echo not only of modern street art but also Aboriginal cave paintings. They were in bright colours. I did find the images played with your eyes a bit as they had an out of focus feel which you eye tried to correct.

Closes on 3 September 2017

 

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