Africa and Australia
21st. - 31st. August 2008

Sidney Nolan visited Africa during the summer of 1962. In the first instance he travelled to Kenya where he spent several weeks studying, photographing and sketching the landscape and wildlife; something that he had wanted to do for many years. As time passed, however, he was drawn by an even stronger interest to journey further to explore the ancient city of Harar on the eastern border of Ethiopia.

For the last six years of his life Harar had been the home of Arthur Rimbaud, the romantic French poet. Nolan had been introduced to the poetry of Rimbaud by his friend, Howard Matthews, with whom he travelled and painted (particularly in the mountains of northern Victorian) in the late1930’s. For Nolan this was the beginning of a lifelong fascination with Rimbaud and in 1982 he had a significant exhibition at the Nolan Gallery at Lanyon, under the title of ‘Illuminations’, of paintings relating to Rimbaud’s life and work.

In response to his experiences in Africa, in December of 1962 and into 1963, Sidney completed a series of wildlife paintings, on board and on paper, in a similar burst of energy to that which produced his Antarctic series a year later. For me, however, the most striking of the works that arose from this trip were the many African ‘Heads’. Elegant Ethiopian women, tribal chieftains and husky moustachioed characters possibly of Turkish extraction, all of whom Sidney could well have seen in the cultural diversity that constitutes the population of Harar. These works are exemplary in demonstrating Nolan’s ability to evoke the feeling of a location. The paint is thin and in many places scrapped back to the extreme which, with his choice of pigments, portrays a hot, arid and airless climate. A far cry from the luscious thick oil and
intense palette that he later uses in his evocation of Antarctica.

Many of Sidney Nolan’s African works were exhibited at Marlborough Fine Art in ‘African Journey’ during May and June of 1963. Gazelle, Africa Head and Head VI were in that exhibition. Several other paintings including two works of Rimbaud at Harar feature in the Nolan Retrospective that has been curated by the Art Gallery of New South Wales and which is currently touring Australia. (Link)

As an artist it is impossible to categorise Nolan since his experience, endeavour and influence seems to transcend so many aspects of the creative world. As a landscape painter he had an enduring interest in Australia. In spite of settling in the UK in the 50’s Sidney would always ensure that he returned to Australia regularly and many visits would result in series of paintings. Of those in this exhibition one is from the time of the African paintings whereas the others are later, from 1972 and 1988.

Sidney’s ability to portray the Australian landscape, from his gentle sketches on his trips with Howard Matthews to the majesty of his Central Australia works in the ‘50’s, from the lush bush of his ‘Riverbend’ to the desolation of his ‘Drought’ series, has created a legacy that so accurately reflects the range and diversity of his
homeland.

The paintings (measurements height x width in cms.)

1. African Study April 1963
mixed media on kaolin coated paper 51 x 63.5

2. African Study 5th. March 1963
mixed media on kaolin coated paper 51 x 63.5

3. African Study April 1963
mixed media on kaolin coated paper 51 x 63.5

4. Head II 27th. December 1962
oil on hardboard 122 x 92.5

5. African Study April 1963
mixed media on kaolin coated paper 51 x 63.5

6. Africa Head 1st. January 1963
oil on hardboard 122 x 92.5

7. Head VI 1st. January 1963
oil on hardboard 122 x 92.5

8. Head 27th. December 1962
oil on hardboard 122 x 92.5

9. African Study April 1963
Mixed media on kaolin coated paper 63.5 x 51

10. Head 27th. December 1963
oil on hardboard 122 x 92.5

11. African Study 5th. March 1963
mixed media on kaolin coated paper 51 x 63.5

12. African Study 28th. March 1963
mixed media on kaolin coated paper 63.5 x 51

13. Head 27th. December 1962
oil on hardboard 122 x 92.5

14. African Study 28th. March 1963
mixed media on kaolin coated paper 63.5 x 51

15. African Study 28th. March 1963
mixed media on kaolin coated paper 63.5 x 51

16. Gazelle 1963
oil on hardboard 122 x 122

17. African Study 28th. March 1963
mixed media on kaolin coated paper 63.5 x 51

18. Figure and Landscape circa 1982
oil on hardboard 92.5 x 122

19. Landscape 1988
oil on board 152.5 x 122

20. Landscape 1972
mixed media on paper 50.8 x 76.2

21. Landscape circa 1963
oil on hardboard 152.5 x 122

22. Landscape 1972
mixed media on paper 50.8 x 76.2

23. Landscape 1988
oil on hardboard 152.5 x 122

24. Landscape 1972
mixed media on paper 50.8 x 76.2