'Lily Pond'
North Queensland, Australia, 1983
10 of 50
Watercolor & pastel on paper
Image size 55.2 x 75.3cm
Paper size 65.2 x 85.3cm
Framed
North Queensland, Australia, 1983
10 of 50
Watercolor & pastel on paper
Image size 55.2 x 75.3cm
Paper size 65.2 x 85.3cm
Framed
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John Olsen (A.O, O.B.E)
Painter, Teacher
After studying in Sydney in the early 1950's, John Olsen's potential was recognized and he was paid to travel and paint in Europe,
spending time in Paris and Majorca. On his return Olsen was introduced as an expressionist type of artist to other young Sydney
painters with "You Beaut Country" signalling the beginning of his subsequent success. John Olsen's feeling for the Australian
environment was demonstrated in his landscapes which were teeming with life with irregular squiggles and dots imposed on loosely
brushed and stained expanses of color.
In 1968, Olsen set up and ran the Bakery Art School running it until1970. It was during that final year he received a commission from
The Dobell Foundation to paint the Sydney Opera House mural "Salute to Five Bells" inspired by Kenneth Slessor. In the mid 70's, Olsen
traveled with naturalist Vincent Serventy on several tours of Central Australia, an experience which gave his map-like drawings a lyrical
and ecological quality.
Space is not depicted in the traditional sense in much of Olsen's work, nor is human scale evident. His watercolors show a close affinity
to oriental ideas of landscape, their vitality and fluency, creating some of the greatest works of landscape painting ever seen in Australia.
John Olsen is recognized nationally and Internationally as one of Australia's most significant and accomplished artists, receiving an
Order of Australia (A.O) in 200. In 1977 he was awarded the O.B.E. for services to the Arts and in 1993 he was awarded an Australian
Creative Fellowship, whilst in1969 and 1985 won the Wynne Prize for his landscapes and more recently in 2005 won the prestigious
Archibald Prize for his self portrait 'Janus Faced'. John Olsen's art work can be seen in the National Gallery of Australia, state galleries and
many regional galleries.
spending time in Paris and Majorca. On his return Olsen was introduced as an expressionist type of artist to other young Sydney
painters with "You Beaut Country" signalling the beginning of his subsequent success. John Olsen's feeling for the Australian
environment was demonstrated in his landscapes which were teeming with life with irregular squiggles and dots imposed on loosely
brushed and stained expanses of color.
In 1968, Olsen set up and ran the Bakery Art School running it until1970. It was during that final year he received a commission from
The Dobell Foundation to paint the Sydney Opera House mural "Salute to Five Bells" inspired by Kenneth Slessor. In the mid 70's, Olsen
traveled with naturalist Vincent Serventy on several tours of Central Australia, an experience which gave his map-like drawings a lyrical
and ecological quality.
Space is not depicted in the traditional sense in much of Olsen's work, nor is human scale evident. His watercolors show a close affinity
to oriental ideas of landscape, their vitality and fluency, creating some of the greatest works of landscape painting ever seen in Australia.
John Olsen is recognized nationally and Internationally as one of Australia's most significant and accomplished artists, receiving an
Order of Australia (A.O) in 200. In 1977 he was awarded the O.B.E. for services to the Arts and in 1993 he was awarded an Australian
Creative Fellowship, whilst in1969 and 1985 won the Wynne Prize for his landscapes and more recently in 2005 won the prestigious
Archibald Prize for his self portrait 'Janus Faced'. John Olsen's art work can be seen in the National Gallery of Australia, state galleries and
many regional galleries.
