Double Act

In this joint biography, Sylvia Martin delves deeper into the unconventional lives of two of Australia’s prominent female artists. Turning a queer lens on Eirene Mort and Nora Kate Weston, Martin explores the deep and enduring relationship that underpinned their public creative partnership for over 60 years.

Eirene Mort (1879–1977) and Nora Kate Weston (1880–1965) were dynamic ‘New Women’ who made valuable contributions to art in Australia, challenged gender conventions and were determined to be recognised as professional artists in spite of the societal conventions of the time.

Though better known today, Eirene always regarded her work with Nora as collaborative, a sentiment that Double Act embraces, drawing Nora out of the shadows to take equal place in a relationship that the women considered complementary and intertwined.

Structured chronologically, Double Act also includes ‘spotlights’ on particular artistic themes, such as Eirene’s botanical art, the pair’s joint creations and Eirene’s bookplates. Martin – a queer woman herself – uses self-reflection as a tool throughout to deepen the impact of this beautiful and moving dual biography.

This book will appeal to readers interested in art, design and social history, including queer history. Martin has drawn on the extensive papers, artworks, photographs and more in the National Library of Australia’s collections. The result: a richly illustrated and important biography of the shared lives of Eirene Mort and Nora Kate Weston.

About the Author

Dr Sylvia Martin is a former actor and author of three biographies of Australian women and a book of memoir essays. She holds a PhD in Women’s studies from Griffith University’s School of Historical and Cultural Studies. Her works have been shortlisted for the ISAA Book Prize, the NSW Premier’s Literature Award and the Kibble Award. She was the recipient of the Magarey Medal for Biography in 2008. Dr Martin writes about the private lives of often under-recognised, immensely talented women, who may by modern standards be considered queer.