A compelling image of a circus tent executed in 1942, it combines the fleeting transience of memory with something structured and tangible: flat planes of pale blue and industrial white enamel paint separated with a heavy black line. This work predates Nolan's extensive investigations of landscape and psyche which included the internationally recognised Kelly series. His vibrant early works have always interested astute collectors particularly those interested in the connection between European modernism and the antipodean response developed by the Melbourne group which included Arthur Boyd, Joy Hester, Albert Tucker, and John Perceval. The Auction estimate (Aus $40,000-50,000).
Price realised at auction: Aus $49,200 Hammer Price + BP