Abstract
As a result of a preliminary investigation into the materials used by Australian artists of the 1940s, new light was shed on the materials of Sidney Nolan. Nolan was part of a group of Melbourne artists known as the Angry Penguins, who shared patrons, subject matter and recipes for artists’ materials. New evidence was found by returning to original archival material previously only used for art historical purposes. Among other details, research revealed Nolan’s progression from oils through to Dulux and Ripolin and back again, and the possibility that he mixed his own colours using dyes. This development is set against a backdrop of wartime rationing, which forced many artists to make their own paints and supports, or resort to off-the-shelf material such as house paint. However, Nolan’s use of Ripolin and Masonite proves that imported and rationed materials could still be obtained and in fact were being used in large quantities in his Ned Kelly paintings.
Published Version
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