'Down Under Series, Back of Bourke' by John Olsen
John
Olsen was born in Newcastle, NSW in 1928
In 1935 Olsen's family moved to Bondi beach. Olsen went to Datillo Rubbo
Art School in 1947 and in 1950 he went to Julian Ashton Art School.In
1957 a Sydney art critic raised funds for John Olsen to go to England
and paint. Olsen returned to Sydney in 1960. He wanted to represent
Australian culture in such a way that the world would see the diversity
in the changing outback seasons.
In 1968 Olsen set up and ran the Bakery Art School, and in 1972-73 he
painted 'Salute to Five Bells', inspired by Kenneth Slessor's poem.
Olsen's work has been marked by a deep engagement with the Australian
landscape, and he has lived for long periods in different parts of the
country and travelled widely in it. He has served on the boards of the
Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Art Gallery.
His artworks include the Lake Eyre series and more recent works such as
Golden Summer, and the Clarendon'. One of Olsen's most successful
murals, Salute to Five Bells, is currently hung in the Sydney Opera
House. Although he has been labelled as an abstract artist, Olsen
rejects this accusation, stating, "I have never painted an abstract
painting in my life". He describes his work as "an exploration of the
totality of landscape". Olsen published his autobiography, 'Drawn From
Life', in 1997.
He was awarded the Order of Australia and he won the 2005 Archibald
Prize for his portrait Self portrait Janus Faced.
He lives near Bowral, New South Wales.
Solo
Exhibitions (selected)
2007
'A Salute to Sydney', Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
'John Olsen Ceiling Commissions', Newcastle Region Gallery, NSW
2005
John Olsen, Tim Olsen Gallery Annex, Sydney
2004
John Olsen, Recent Works, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2003
Metro 5 Gallery, Melbourne
2002
Seaport of Desire, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2001
Recent works on paper, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2000
John Olsen: Past & Present, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
1998
John Olsen: Recent Paintings 1995 - 1998, Olsen Carr Art Dealers, Sydney
'New York Nowhere', recent paintings and works on paper, Olsen Carr Art
1995
John Olsen: Recent Works, Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane
1994
John Olsen: Recent Work 1992-1994, Deutscher Fine Art, Melbourne
1993
John Olsen: Recent Works, Sherman Galleries Goodhope, Sydney
John Olsen: Recent Etchings, Olsen Carr Art Dealers, Sydney
1992
John Olsen Retrospective, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 8 May - 28
June,
1991-2
John Olsen Retrospective, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 1 Nov
1991 - 3
1991
John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1990
John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Sydney
1989
John Olsen, Greenhill Gallery, Perth
1988
John Olsen - Encounters with Drawing, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1987-8
John Olsen - Encounters with Drawing, Wollongong City Gallery
1986
Paintings and Drawings by John Olsen from the permanent collection,
John Olsen - In Search of the Open Country 1961-1986, Heide, Melbourne
John Olsen: Gold, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1985
John Olsen, Tynte Gallery, Adelaide
1984
John Olsen, Tynte Gallery, Adelaide Festival 1984, Adelaide
1983
John Olsen: Selected Graphics, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
John Olsen - The Land Beyond Time, Art Gallery of Western Australia,
Perth
1982
John Olsen 81-82 and Noela Hjorth, Bortignon's Kalamunda Gallery of Man,
John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1981
John Olsen: A Sliver of Time, Barry Stern Galleries, Sydney
1980
John Olsen: Exhibition of Recent Paintings, Australian Galleries,
Melbourne
John Olsen: Paintings and Drawings 77-80 Lister Gallery, Festival of
Perth, Perth
John Olsen: My Complete Graphics, David Reid Gallery, Sydney
1979
John Olsen: Earth Hold etchings, Cintra House, Brisbane
1978
John Olsen: Paintings and Drawings 77-78, Barry Stern Galleries, Sydney
1977
John Olsen: Recent Paintings, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1976
John Olsen: Recent oil paintings, gouches, drawings and etchings, Ray
The Child in us All, St John's Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane
1975
John Olsen: Edge of the Void, Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney
John Olsen 74-75: Edge of the Void and Opera House Mural Studies,
Australian
Edge of the Void: Paintings, Drawings, Etchings and Lithographs by John
Olsen,
Greenhill Galleries, Adelaide
John Olsen: Etchings, Gallery Huntly, Canberra
1974
John Olsen, Atelier 72 Gallery, Adelaide
1973
John Olsen, Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney
1972
John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1971
John Olsen, Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney
1970
John Olsen, Reid Gallery, Brisbane
1969
The Dunmoochin Summer: John Olsen '69, Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney
John Olsen '69- Exhibition of Gouches and Oil Paintings, White Studio,
Adelaide
1967
Entrance to the Castle of Life: John Olsen 66-67, Clune Galleries,
Sydney
Entrance to the Castle of Life: John Olsen 66-67, South Yarra Gallery,
Melbourne
1965
John Olsen, Clune Galleries, Sydney
John Olsen, South Yarra Gallery, Melbourne
1963
An Exhibition of Recent Paintings, Gouaches & Drawings by John Olsen,
John Olsen: Recent Paintings, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1960
Olsen, Galerie Lambert, Paris John Olsen, Terry Clune Galleries, Sydney
1958
John Olsen, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1955
John Olsen, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
Group Exhibitions (selected)
1998-1999
Escape Artists: Modernists in the Tropics, touring regional galleries in
Queensland and New South Wales
Southern Reflections: Ten Contemporary Artists, toured Northern Europe
1998
Private Collections, Orange Regional Gallery
1987
Jack Manton Art Prize, Queensland
1986
Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales
1982
John Olsen 1981-82 & Noela Hjorth; Paintings, lithographs & drawings,
Festival of Perth Exhibition, Bortignon's Gallery of Man, Perth; Aspects
of the Landscape, Powell Street Gallery, Melbourne.
1979
Focus '79 R.M.I.T., Melbourne
1978
Australian Etching, National Gallery of Victoria
1977
Australian Contemporary Printmakers, Stadia Graphics Gallery, Sydney
1976
The Child in Us All, John Olsen: Tapestries and oils on hardboard,
Queensland Festival of Art, St. Johns Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane
1969
Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales
1967
Australian Painters 1964-66, Corcoran Gallery, Washington USA
1961
Sydney 9, Gallery A, Melbourne; Recent Australian Art, Whitechapel
Gallery, London; H.C. Richards Memorial prize, Queensland Art Gallery
1963 Georges Invitation Prize, Melbourne
1956
Direction 1, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney; Pacific Loans Exhibition,
Auckland and San Francisco
Awards
2005 -
Archibald Portrait Prize
2001 - Order of Australia
1993 - Australian Creative
Fellowship
1985 - Wynne Prize (Art Gallery
of New South Wales)
1977 - Order of the British
Empire (O.B.E.) for services to the Arts
1969 -
Wynne Prize (Art Gallery of New South Wales)
1962 - Royal Sydney Show Prize
1961 - H.C. Richards Memorial Prize (Queensland Art Gallery), Perth
Prize
1960 - Rockdale Prize
John Olsen is represented in all Australian State galleries including the National Gallery of Australia. His works are also included in corporate and private collections throughout Australia and overseas.