Margaret Nolan shares the distinction with actress Shirley Eaton as an iconic Bond girl, remembered for posing partially nude and covered in gold paint- the twisted method of murder by Bond villain Goldfinger. The image is stunning (and stirring), but also speaks to the complex nature of female roles in society. It seems odd that we should love this image of woman-as-statue, a kind of kinky cybernaut, frozen forever in the state of distant allure. Nolan's own artwork reflects this dichotomy of beauty and self-appraisal. She quotes John Berger (Ways of Seeing/1972) in the introduction to her gallery page: "To be born a woman has been to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men… this has been at the cost of a woman's self being split into two… she must continuously watch herself… and so she comes to consider the surveyor and the surveyed within her as the two constituent yet always distinct elements of her identity as a woman. Men look at women, women watch themselves being looked at… her own sense of being in herself is supplanted by a sense of being appreciated as herself by another… thus she turns herself into an object- and most particularly an object of vision; a 'sight'." Margaret's method of cutting reminds me slightly of self-image drawings I've seen made by women in therapy, which often depict two selves: the sparkly partner ready to please and the private inner-self watching from within. Her titles reveal the conflict: "My Divided Self", "Fallen Dreams", "Abyss", "Silent Night". Other pieces echo the pulse of Swinging London: "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah", "Avenger", "Blonde On Blonde", "My MGB". Below: "My Divided Self" by Margaret Nolan. Signed prints and photos are available on her website
When I corresponded with Margaret Nolan about featuring her work on Spy Vibe, she kindly noted, "Thank you so much. It's one of the best, if not the best, review I've come across. I like the way you connected my photomontages to the titles. You Got it! -Maggie." She's considered putting together a calendar with her artwork, so I'll keep readers up to date with any new developments. Nolan's acting career spans 50 years, with appearances in Spy Vibe classics like The Saint, Danger Man, Adam Adamant Lives!, The Persuaders, A Hard Days Night ("I bet you're an excellent swimmer."), and Ferry Cross the Mersey. Related links: Interview at sister site Illustrated 007, Spy Vibe Trina Robbins Interview, John Berger at The Guardian, Shirley Eaton, Margaret Nolan, Spy Vibe's Erno Goldfinger, Spy Vibe's The Goldfinger Variations. Below: "Stars in Her Eyes" by Margaret Nolan. Enjoy!
Selected Spy Vibe posts: Man From UNCLE Rocksteady, Pussy Galore Calypso, Cynthia Lennon R.I.P., Edward Mann Fashion, Leonard Nimoy Tribute, Shatner at 84, Bob Morane series, New Saint Publications, The Saint Complete box set, Gerry Anderson Box Sets, Music For Spies, Thai Bond Design, Brian Clemens RIP, Bond vs Modernism, Imitation Game, New Avengers Books, Ringo Does Goldfinger, Sixties Beat Wear, Popular Skullture, Art of Modesty, Avengers Blu-ray update, Tokyo Beat 1964, Polaroid Spy, Feraud Mod Fashion, Flint Scores!, Bond Danish, New Richard Sala Book, New 007 Comics, Designing Bond Books, Green Hornet Manga, Margaret Nolan Art, No 6 Festival, Barbarella Returns, Designer: Gene Winfield, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Rare Avengers Scripts, Man From Uncle UK Comics, Thunderbirds Comics, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Avengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky Boots, George Lois Design & Mad Men, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The Saint books return, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.