A Total Work of Art: Sidney Nolan & the Stage

Overview

Sidney Nolan always understood artmaking could transcend the boundaries of a picture frame. Throughout his life, he worked with a wide circle of creative collaborators to produce striking designs for opera, ballet, and theatre.

The exhibition focuses on four key stage productions, including Nolan's first commission Icare in 1940, when he was just 21, through to The Rite of Spring, 1963 at Covent Garden, London and The Display, 1964 for the Australian Ballet. These productions highlight Nolan's pursuit of a 'total work of art', that encompassed costuming, set design and lighting.

Through rarely seen photographs and drawings, the exhibition explores how Nolan's designs for the stage were developed, his collaborative process and the bespoke crafting of large sets and hand-painted costumes.

Among the highlights is the iconic 'Lyrebird' costume from The Display on loan from the Performing Arts Centre in Melbourne. Created at the invitation of choreographer Robert Helpmann for the first production of the Australian Ballet, the production was staged 60 years ago at the opening of the Canberra Theatre Centre in 1965.

The year 2025 marks two important anniversaries – the 50th anniversary of Sidney Nolan's gift to the Nation of a collection of his most important early works and the 60th anniversary of the opening of The Canberra Theatre.