John Olsen was born in Newcastle on 21 January 1928 and moved to Bondi Beach with his family in 1935, which began his lifelong fascination with Sydney Harbour. He attended St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill leaving in 1943. He went to the Datillo Rubbo Art School in 1947 and in 1950 to 1953 and studied at the Julian Ashton School in Sydney, and Auburn School, 1950 to 1956. In 1957, a Sydney art critic raised funds for John Olsen to go to England and paint. He studied printmaking in Paris in 1957, followed by two years in Spain. 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 1970, he was commissioned by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation to paint a large mural entitled, 'Salute to Five Bells', which was inspired by Kenneth Slessor's poem and completed in 1973. 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.
Olsen is well known for his paintings of frogs and for including frogs in many of his works. In 2013, he began work on his largest painting since Salute to Five Bells. Eight metres by six metres wide, on eight panels, The King Sun was hung in Collins Square in the Melbourne Docklands. The work depicts a brilliant Australian sun (including three 3 frogs). Olsen and his work on the mural are the subject of 2014 documentary The King Sun, directed by New Zealander Tony Williams.
In Australia's New Year's Honours of 1977, Olsen was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, in 1993 he was awarded an Australian Creative Fellowship and in the Australia Day Honours of 2001 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. He was awarded the Centenary Medal on 1 January 2001. He was also awarded the Wynne Prize in both 1969 and 1985.
The Art Series Hotel pick up Olsen as a name of the South Yarra hotel where all his artwork dominate the place!
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| Mr John Olsen |
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Salute to Five Bells (Sydney Opera House)
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1954, The bicycle boys rejoice
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1956, Dry salvages
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1957, Dylan's country
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1960, Australian flux
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1960, Spanish encounter
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1961, Journey into the you beaut country no. 1
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1962, Landscape dog
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1962, Summer in the country
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1964, Entrance to the seaport of desire
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1964, McElhone steps
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1964-65, Joie de vivre
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1965, Salute to Cerberus
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1966, Man absorbed in landscape
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1966, The chapel
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1968, Echidna upside down
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1969, Pied beauty
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1970, Lake Hindmarsh, the Wimmera
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1970, Two eyes of the dam
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1975, Lake Eyre
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1975, Moon light Lake Eyre
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1980, Nightfall, when wattle stains the doubting heart
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1983, Golden summer, Clarendon
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1985, Wetlands
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1992, Shadows Caravan
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1992, Spring at Rydal
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1993, Female nude in bath
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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1994, Kitchen story
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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| © 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2007, Simpson Desert
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2007, Sydney Harbour- Spring Tide
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2010, Rose Fingered Dawn
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2010, Approaching
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2010, Giraffes at Mt Kenya
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2010, Mt Kenya
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2010, Squid with its own ink
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2010, Tree Frogs
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2011, Falling Frog
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2011, Frog and Fly
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2012, Lake Eyre - The Desert Sea II
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2012, Lake Eyre - the Desert Sea III
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2012, Lake Eyre - the Desert Sea VII
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2013, The Japanese Kite
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2014, Journey into Murumbidgee Country
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2016, Celebration After Storm
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2016, Sydney Harbour
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2017, Animal Landscape II
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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2017, Christmas Owl
© 2017, Olsen Gallery. Artist copyright & Legals |
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| NGV The Ian Potter Centre Mlbourne |
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The Art Series Hotel pick up Olsen as a name of the South Yarra hotel
where all his artwork dominate the place!
|
 |
The Art Series Hotel pick up Olsen as a name of the South Yarra hotel
where all his artwork dominate the place!
|
 |
The Art Series Hotel pick up Olsen as a name of the South Yarra hotel
where all his artwork dominate the place!
|
 |
The Art Series Hotel pick up Olsen as a name of the South Yarra hotel
where all his artwork dominate the place!
|
 |
The Art Series Hotel pick up Olsen as a name of the South Yarra hotel
where all his artwork dominate the place!
|
 |
The Art Series Hotel pick up Olsen as a name of the South Yarra hotel
where all his artwork dominate the place!
|
 |
The Art Series Hotel pick up Olsen as a name of the South Yarra hotel
where all his artwork dominate the place!
|
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