John Olsen (artist)

John Henry Olsen, AO, OBE (born 1928 in Newcastle, New South Wales) is an Australian artist. Olsen's primary subject of work is landscape.

Life and work

In 1957 a Sydney businessman paid for John Olsen to go to Majorca and paint. The businessman sold most of the paintings for a profit and Olsen was transformed by the influences of European art and the Mediterranean. 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 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, Clarendon'. One of Olsen's most successful murals, 'Salute to Five Bells' is currently hung in the Sydney Opera House.

Although he has been labeled 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."

He won the 2005 Archibald Prize for his self portrait "Janus Faced". [ [http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/archibald05/winners/archibald 2005 Archibald Winner] ]

He lives near Bowral, New South Wales.

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.gdrentals.com Rent John Olsen artworks]