Nolan's Shining Body Of Work

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday October 15, 2008

Martin Dinneen

NEWCASTLE Region Art Gallery director Ron Ramsey has gold fever, inspired by long-lost artistic treasure.

This 23-carat-gold sculpture of a face by Sidney Nolan is one of four that illustrates his foray into a medium relatively foreign to the artist.

It was not known Nolan dabbled in the medium until art collector Patrick Stourton found a silver artist's proof of Gallipoli Man by Nolan at an antiques fair in England in 1994.

Stourton located the foundry where moulds made by Nolan were kept and cast six editions of the four pieces in gold. But the collector died soon after, and the works were put in a bank vault for more than 10 years.

Now, for the first time, they are on display at a public gallery in Australia.

"It reveals a very personal side of Nolan," Mr Ramsey said.

The exhibition Forgotten Gold is showing until October 26.

Martin Dinneen

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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