NOLAN, SIR SIDNEY (ROBERT)

born April 22, 1917, Melbourne, Australia died Nov. 27, 1992, London, Eng. artist known for his paintings based on Australian folklore. With little formal art training, Nolan turned to painting at 21 after varied experiences as a racing cyclist, cook, and gold miner. His early works show the influences of Paul Klee and Lszl Moholy-Nagy and include the controversial abstract work Boy and the Moon (1940)a splash of yellow against a raw blue background. He developed a more representational style over the years, however. Apart from his landscapes, most of his works deal with Australian historical or legendary characters and eventsnotably, the bushranger Ned Kelly. His style is highly individual, as are many of the mediums he employed, such as ripolin and polyvinyl acetate on masonite, glass, paper, or canvas. Nolan moved to England in 1955. He designed stage sets for Serge Lifar's ballet Icarus in 1941, for Kenneth Macmillan's version of The Rite of Spring at Covent Garden in 1962, and for Camille Saint-San's opera Samson et Dalila, also at Covent Garden, in 1981. His work has been exhibited internationally, and permanent exhibitions are at the Tate Gallery in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He was knighted in 1981 and became a member of the Order of Merit in 1983.