CURATOR TALK: An armour of lace and silk - costuming the Kelly Gang

Join curators Virginia Rigney (CMAG) and Dr Jennifer Gall (National Film and Sound Archives) in their talk about Alice Babidge’s costumes for Justin Kurzel’s film The True History of the Kelly Gang and parallels with Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly imagery. Babidge used both vintage and contemporary fabrics to make this award-winning group of costumes and their use as disguise, but also about bonding, defiance, transgression, and celebration of political resistance.  

In adapting his script for True History of the Kelly Gang from Peter Carey’s 2003 novel of the same name, Justin Kurzel expanded on Carey’s referencing of the practice in 19th century Irish political resistance, of men dressing as women. Sidney Nolan was also intrigued by this story and the foundation collection includes the work Steve Hart showing the gang member astride a horse wearing a floral dress. These dresses may have their foundations as a means of disguise, but unquestioningly they are also about bonding, defiance, transgression, and celebration.  

Presented in association with the exhibition Matthew Thorne: Jingo was born in the Slum.