Historical information

David NOONAN (1969- )
Born Ballarat, Victoria.
Lives and works Melbourne, Victoria and London, United Kingdom.

Leaving secondary school as soon as he could, David Noonan enrolled in a Visual Art Course at the Ballarat School of Mines. He described this time as 'an inspiring time, with every art form covered and treated with passion and rigour.' He studied ceramics, photography, painting and knew that he had to be an artist. (https://art150.unimelb.edu.au/articles/david-noonan-making-art-in-a-dark-and-quiet-place, accessed 17 January 2020). Between 1987 and 1989 David Noonan completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at Ballarat University College, Victoria, Australia (Now Federation University Australia). He undertook Post Graduate Studies at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne in 1991 and 1992. Since 2005 he has been based in London with his work featuring in a number of major international exhibitions of contemporary art, including 'Altermodern', the 2009 Tate Triennial at Tate Britain, London.

Producing works in a range of media including painting, photography, film, print-making, collage and sculpture David Noonan's work often evoke the subconscious realm through their fragmented imagery, allusive qualities and complex layering of historical and cultural references. Animals, actors and masked figures are recurring motifs that imbue his works with a magical atmosphere that is suggestive of childhood memories or half-forgotten dreams. ( produced works in a range of media including painting, photography, film, print-making, collage and sculpture. His works often evoke the subconscious realm through their fragmented imagery, allusive qualities and complex layering of historical and cultural references. (https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/david-noonan-untitled/, accessed 17 January 2020)

David Noonan has become known for large-scale monochromatic collages on linen comprised of fabrics which are torn, folded, cut, stitched and combined with silkscreened images. This approach was used to produce his 2018 atmospheric film 'A dark and quiet place'. Noonan is interested in combining art and traditional craft techniques. (https://artgalleryofballarat.com.au/gallery_exhibitions/david-noonan-stagecraft/, accessed 17 January 2020)

This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.

Physical description

Six stretched canvases making up the work 'Ring of the Nibellings'.