Fitzroy Library Exhibtion Space
mid February - mid April 2006
'The Market' by Bill Nolan-Lewis - Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 45cms
Review by Cressida Fox
Bill’s lively and colourful exhibition of 13 works shows a love of Australian sports and literature and live theatre. Naive and narrative in style, they capture moments in a story, a poem, a game or performance, a moment in Australian history or folklore. Cockatoos is not about birds: here the “cockatoos” appear to be spruikers at a gambling establishment - maybe two-up? They are slyly big eyed, seeming to indicate that they know more than they will tell, and there are symbols of money. In Penalty Shot, it’s all happening on the soccer field - figures on a bright green field, interestingly sized according to importance in the game being played out in this scene.
One of Bill’s favourite themes is taking scenes from Australian author C.J. Dennis’ great poetic piece, “The Sentimental Bloke.” Written in 1915, it captures life as it was around the time of the First World War. In The Market, numerous women are at a market stall, handling brums (bolts of cloth).
One girl stands out from all the rest and captures the attention of The Bloke (his name is Bill). The girl was later to be his Doreen. Mr Nolan-Lewis recited The Bloke’s account of his first sighting of her: “I seen ‘er in the market first of all, Inspectin’ brums at Steenie Isaacs’ stall.”
In More Tea, The Bloke sits nervously over tea with Doreen’s mum - his future mother-in-law. I found these to be charming works.
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