Man on Fire: Visions of Nebuchadnezzar

Produced largely in the UK during the 1960s, Arthur Boyd’s renowned series depicts the biblical story of King Nebuchadnezzar, who, exiled by God for the sin of pride, is condemned to live as an animal in the wilderness for seven years.

Boyd’s treatment of the myth is deeply personal, driven by his firm pacifism and informed by the turbulence of the Vietnam War era. The works become a meditation on unchecked ego and pride, and the fragility of the human condition.

With a career spanning more than two decades, Shaun Gladwell is known for his striking moving image works that explore the politics and poetics of human movement. With a longstanding interest in Boyd’s work and familial roots in the Shoalhaven, Gladwell brings a deep affinity for Boyd’s concerns, particularly around how masculinity can be performed, tested and transformed, and the role of art as a site of metamorphosis and renewal. Gladwell’s new commission responds directly to Boyd’s Nebuchadnezzar works and was created in residence in the unique natural environment of Bundanon.

Bringing together these two leading Australian artists across generations, Man on Fire: Visions of Nebuchadnezzar explores an ancient story of hubris and undoing. Illuminating the enduring questions of power, exile and human frailty, the meeting of Boyd and Gladwell ignites new considerations of masculinity, psychological reckoning and renewal.