Nola FARMAN   b. 1939

Born in Subiaco in 1939, Nola Farman studied part-time at Perth Technical College 1959-1961. Following this she studied in Canada at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto 1962-1966, completing her MA at the University of Western Sydney (Nepean).

Although she now lives in Sydney, Nola continues a close association with Western Australia and while continuing to explore different subjects and methods of painting, her main focus is on land based installation. When designing an environmental art installation, Nola carefully researches the social and historic content of the area she will be working in. Her installation at Brays Bay Foreshore Park, Concord in Sydney, tracks the activity of the shipyards that were active during WWII. The physical shapes represent the hulls of the vessels and the sound installation that is triggered on entering the site, is a composition of the noises of the processes of shipbuilding – hammering, riveting, welding etc. Nola works closely with the engineers, architects and contractors to create artwork that is also technically viable.

The subject of Nola Farman’s paintings are both cerebral and visual delights. The Dream slips away uses real books and partitions the text with images overlaid to create a story within a story. The fractured words and captured eyes, offer the viewer many levels of interpretation.

Click here to view more Artist Profiles from the Holmes à Court Collection.