John Olsen’s high calibre Fruitta Misto del Mare, formerly Kerry Stokes collection, is an important work of art and the same theme as the award wining “Love in the Kitchen which fetched $1.09 million
John Olsen is only one of two living important Australian artists whose painting sold over one million dollars.
John Olsen is a master water-colorist and acknowledged as Australia's greatest living artist and literally a "living legend".
| JOHN Henry OLSEN (1928-) a Biography | |||||||||
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JOHN
Henry OLSEN (1928-)
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JOHN OLSEN
born 1928 |
| Paintings that find words for the land; a typical Olsen painting combines an implied aerial view with an ambiguous and seemingly unpremeditated figuration. His characteristically quizzical line and irregular squiggles and dots deftly render countless organisms, large and minute. Their environment is conjured through loosely brushed and stained expanses of colour (on canvas or hardboard) that are keyed to natural light. Even when he is referring to the outback landscape, usually noted for its austerity and inhospitality, Olsen's imagery teems with life. Yet the same lines sometimes read as geological mappings. In Olsen's work there is no foreground/ middle ground/ background schema, nor any sign of European landscape's concern with "human scale." Intend he employs simultaneously the contrary vantages of naturalist and geographer or, to put it another way, the viewpoints of frog and eagle. |
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JOHN OLSEN
born 1928 |
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John Olsen is a master water-colorist and acknowledged as Australia's greatest living artist and literally a "living legend". Essentially an abstract artist with a figurative element applying to many of his works. His career now spanning well over half a century has been one of success after success. He is represented in virtually every major state institution and in every major collection. He is recognized nationally and internationally as one of Australia's most significant accomplished and innovative artist since the 60's.John Olsen “Love in the Kitchen” sold for $1.09 million in October 2006, against the pre-sale expectation AUS$400,000 - $500,000. When in 2002, 26 June, Christies sold Olsen's work for AUS$486,500. |
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Christies Auction, 26 June 2002 Olsen's work sold for $486,500. In October 2006 John Olsen achieved the highest price for any living Australian artist when his “Love in the Kitchen” sold for $1.09 million against the pre-sale expectation $400,000 - 500,000.
Awards: John Olsen is certainly acknowledged as Australia's greatest living artist and literally a "living legend". Essentially an abstract artist with a figurative element applying to many of his works. His career now spanning well over half a century has been one of success after success. He is represented in virtually every major state institution and in every major collection. He is recognized nationally and internationally as one of Australia's most significant accomplished and innovative artist since the 60's. Born in Newcastle in 1928, Olsen moved to Bondi at the age of seven. He studied at the Julian Ashton School , the Orban School, in Paris and in Spain. In 1955 his first major success occurred when the National Gallery of Victoria purchased a work. In 1957 he went overseas and during this time he sent exhibitions back to Sydney and Melbourne. Since his return to Sydney in 1960 he has held numerous solo exhibitions in Sydney and Melbourne. From 1969 to 1971 Olsen lived at the Dunmoochin artists colony, outside Melbourne, working with Clifton Pugh, Fred Williams, Albert Tucker and others and in 1970 he was commissioned by the Dobell Foundation to paint the Sydney Opera House mural Salute to Five Bells. In 1974 he began a series of tours through Central Australia, and later Egypt, Kenya and South Africa which has fuelled his love of the landscape and its inhabitants. He has been awarded many prizes and awards including an OBE in 1977. Olsen major retrospective travelled Australia 1991-92. He is represented by the Australian National Gallery and most Australian state and regional galleries as well as private and corporate collections. Art Encyclopedia www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/olsen_john.html Veteran Australian painter John Olsen has won the 2005 Archibald Prize for his painting Self Portrait Janus.
John Olsen is a master water
colorist witness a series of large works
(often around 8 feet high) on Japanese
torinoko paper with titles such as The
Rookery, Dying Creek Bed and Owls at
Cooper's Creek. These exquisite and humorous
paintings bear comparison with the best of
Zen sumi tradition without ever striking a
false note. Another group of paintings,
begun in 1987 and dominated by tar blacks
and heavy umbers, adumbrates themes of
Spanish village life, literary references
and autobiographical probing, all in a
tragicomic mode. A purely Olsen touch
appears in the darkness that is animated by
scrawly images in Donde Voy? Self-Portraits
in Moments of Doubt: a squiggly little fried
egg, hovering in space where one of the
figure's genitals would be in a fuller
rendering, refers playfully to Velazquez, a
symbol of redemption and a particular not-
quite- cooked bit of breakfast. Olsen's work
has not yet been seen in the U.S., yet this
retrospective would more than hold its own
at any of our major venues". A typical Olsen
painting combines an implied aerial view
with an ambiguous and seemingly
unpremeditated figuration. His
characteristically quizzical line and
irregular squiggles and dots deftly render
countless organisms, large and minute. Their
environment is conjured through loosely
brushed and stained expanses of colour (on
canvas or hardboard) that are keyed to
natural light. Even when he is referring to
the outback landscape, usually noted for its
austerity and inhospitality, Olsen's imagery
teems with life. Yet the same lines
sometimes read as geological mappings. In
Olsen's work there is no foreground/ middle
ground/ background schema, nor any sign of
European landscape's concern with "human
scale." Intend he employs simultaneously the
contrary vantages of naturalist and
geographer or, to put it another way, the
viewpoints of frog and eagle.
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1928 Born in Newcastle, NSW 1935 Family moves to Bondi Beach 1943 Leaves school to work as a clerk, then becomes a freelance cartoonist for publications such as Man and Fashion Design 1947 Attends Datillo Rubbo Art School 1950 Attends Julian Ashton Art School where he studies under John Passmore, and later Godfrey Miller at East Sydney Technical College 1952-55 Exhibits with the Society of Artists 1955 First major exhibition, at Macquarie Galleries, Sydney 1956 Participates in important abstract and abstract expressionist exhibition, 'Direction 1' 1957-60 Travels to Europe 1965-67 Lives in London and Portugal 1968 Establishes the Bakery Art School, Sydney 1969-71 Lives at Dunmoochin, Victoria, in the artist community started by Clifton Pugh, where he worked with artists such as Fred Williams and Albert Tucker; wins Wynne Prize 1973 Completes Sydney Opera House mural 'Salute to Five Bells', based on Kenneth Slessor's poem 1970s-1980s Tours through central Australia, and later Egypt, Kenya and South Africa 1985 Wins the Wynne Prize 1988 Paints mural for Darling Harbour Project, Sydney 1991 Retrospective at National Gallery of Victoria, tours Australia 1997 Publishes his autobiography, 'Drawn from Life' Selected Major Exhibitions 1955 John Olsen, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney 1958 John Olsen, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney 1960 Olsen, Galerie Lambert, Paris 1960 John Olsen, Terry Clune Galleries, Sydney 1963 An Exhibition of Recent Paintings, Gouaches & Drawings by John Olsen, Clune Galleries, Sydney 1963 John Olsen: Recent Paintings, Australian Galleries, Melbourne 1965 John Olsen, Clune Galleries, Sydney 1965 John Olsen, South Yarra Gallery, Melbourne 1967 Entrance to the Castle of Life: John Olsen 66-67, Clune Galleries, Sydney 1967 Entrance to the Castle of Life: John Olsen 66-67, South Yarra Gallery, Melbourne 1969 The Dunmoochin Summer: John Olsen '69, Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney 1969 John Olsen '69- Exhibition of Gouches and Oil Paintings, White Studio, Adelaide 1970 John Olsen, Reid Gallery, Brisbane 1971 John Olsen, Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney 1972 John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Melbourne 1973 John Olsen, Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney 1974 John Olsen, Atelier 72 Gallery, Adelaide 1975 John Olsen: Edge of the Void, Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney 1975 John Olsen 74-75: Edge of the Void and Opera House Mural Studies, Australian Galleries, Melbourne 1975 Edge of the Void: Paintings, Drawings, Etchings and Lithographs by John Olsen, Greenhill Galleries, Adelaide 1975 John Olsen: Etchings, Gallery Huntly, Canberra 1976 John Olsen: Recent oil paintings, gouches, drawings and etchings, Ray Hughes Gallery, Brisbane The Child in us All, St John's Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane 1977 John Olsen: Recent Paintings, Australian Galleries, Melbourne 1978 John Olsen: Paintings and Drawings 77-78, Barry Stern Galleries, Sydney 1979 John Olsen: Earth Hold etchings, Cintra House, Brisbane 1980 John Olsen: Exhibition of Recent Paintings, Australian Galleries, Melbourne 1980 John Olsen: Paintings and Drawings 77-80 Lister Gallery, Festival of Perth, Perth 1980 John Olsen: My Complete Graphics, David Reid Gallery, Sydney 1981 John Olsen: A Sliver of Time, Barry Stern Galleries, Sydney 1982 John Olsen 81-82 and Noela Hjorth, Bortignon's Kalamunda Gallery of Man, Festival of Perth, Perth 1982 John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Melbourne 1983 John Olsen: Selected Graphics, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth 1983 John Olsen - The Land Beyond Time, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth (touring exhibition - travelling throughout Australia 1984-1990) 1984 John Olsen, Tynte Gallery, Adelaide Festival 1984, Adelaide 1985 John Olsen, Tynte Gallery, Adelaide 1986 Paintings and Drawings by John Olsen from the permanent collection, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin 1986 John Olsen - In Search of the Open Country 1961-1986, Heide, Melbourne 1986 John Olsen: Gold, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney 1986 John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Melbourne 1987-88 John Olsen - Encounters with Drawing, Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong 1988 John Olsen - Encounters with Drawing, Australian Galleries, Melbourne 1989 John Olsen, Greenhill Gallery, Perth 1990 John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Sydney 1991 John Olsen, Australian Galleries, Melbourne 1991-92 John Olsen Retrospective, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 1992 John Olsen Retrospective, Art Gallery of New South Wales 1993 John Olsen: Recent Works, Sherman Galleries Goodhope, Sydney 1993 John Olsen: Recent Etchings, Olsen Carr Art Dealers, Sydney 1994 John Olsen: Recent Work 1992-1994, Deutscher Fine Art, Melbourne 1995 John Olsen: Recent Works, Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane 1998 John Olsen: Recent Paintings 1995 - 1998, Olsen Carr Art Dealers, Sydney 1998 'New York Nowhere', recent paintings and works on paper, Olsen Carr Art Dealers, Sydney 2000 John Olsen: Past & Present, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
Selected Group Exhibitions
Awards
Selected Bibliography |
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John OLSEN Australian artist |
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