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John Olsen 1928 - Present Day

Style
Modern semi-figurative landscape

Career Status
Blue Chip

Biography
At 78-years old, John Olsen is perhaps the most senior, respected Australian artist. He paints the Australian landscape, its wildlife, larrikinism and rugged intractability. John Olsen was born in 1928 in Newcastle, NSW. Leaving school he became a clerk and freelanced as a cartoonist. He studied under John Passmore and Geoffrey Miller, having his first major exhibition at Macquarie Galleries in Sydney. Olsen studied at the Julian Ashton School (with Passmore); Orban School, 1950-56, Paris, 1957-60 (engraving with Hayter); independent study in Spain. Olsen‚s independent outlook became evident when he took part in a anti-Archibald Prize demonstration at the AGNSW in 1953. He gained his first official success in Melbourne, 1955-56, when a small painting was bought for the NGV from the Herald Outdoor Art Show. European influences in his work were fused to produce individual child-art type imagery expressed with a sophistication and panache, added to which was a strong, natural feeling for his Australian environment. A wandering, child-like scawl of linear superstructure was imposed on a rich, free, colourful scrumble of underpainting of alternating opaque and transparent passages. The colloquially titled series, which began with Journey into You Beaut Country, summed up the attitude and drew attention to Olsen‚s Irish-inspired wit and his affection for the general character of Sydney and environs. In 1963 he designed a series of tapestries made in Portugal and the following year went to Europe to further his work in this field, returning to Sydney in 1967.

Collections
1960 Rockdale Prize
1961 H.C. Richards Memorial Prize (Queensland Art Gallery), Perth Prize
1962 Royal Sydney Show Prize
1963 Georges Art Prize, Melbourne
1964 Launceston Prize, Tasmania
1969 Wynne Prize (Art Gallery of New South Wales)
1977 Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) for services to the Arts
1985 Wynne Prize (Art Gallery of New South Wales)
1993 Australian Creative Fellowship
2001 Order of Australia (O.A.)
John Olsen's work is represented in all Australian state gallery collections, the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra and regional galleries Australia wide. He is also represented in institutional, corporate and private collections in Australasia, United Kingdom, Europe and the United States of America.

Auction Record
$1,075,500
Oil on canvas,
Mossgreen Auctions Hobart 15/10/2006, Lot No. 111

Awards
1960 Rockdale Prize
1961 H. C. Richards Memorial Prize, (Journey into you Beaut Country No 11 painting ) . Q.A.G.: Perth prize .
1962 Royal Sydney Show Prize
1963 Georges Art Prize, Melbourne
1964 Launceston Prize Tasmania
1969/85 Wynne Landscape Prde, A.G.N.S.W.
1977 Order of the British Empire ( O.B.E. ) for services to the arts.

Studies
1947 Datillo Rubbo Art School
1950 Julian Ashton Art School, under John Passmore.

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