John Olsen (Australian artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Olsen
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John Henry Olsen
21 January 1928 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
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| Died | 11 April 2023 (aged 95) Bowral, New South Wales, Australia
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| Nationality | Australian |
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John Henry Olsen AO OBE (born 21 January 1928 – died 11 April 2023) was a famous Australian artist. He won the Archibald Prize in 2005. Olsen was best known for his paintings of landscapes.
Contents
Early Life and Art Training
John Olsen was born in Newcastle in 1928. In 1935, his family moved to Bondi Beach. This is where he started his lifelong love for Sydney Harbour.
He studied art at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney from 1950 to 1953. In 1957, Olsen traveled to Europe to paint. He visited London and Cornwall in England. Then he went to Paris to learn printmaking. After that, he spent two years in Deià, Spain.
While in Spain, Olsen was influenced by artists like Joan Miró. He also became interested in Eastern ideas and poetry. When he returned to Sydney in 1960, he started teaching art.
In 1970, Olsen was asked to paint a large mural. A mural is a big painting on a wall. This mural was called 'Salute to Five Bells'. It was inspired by a Kenneth Slessor poem. Olsen's art shows his deep connection to the Australian landscape. He lived and traveled widely across Australia.
Famous Artworks
John Olsen is well known for his paintings of the Australian landscape. He often included frogs in his artworks! He believed his art was "an exploration of the totality of landscape." This means he tried to show everything about a landscape, not just what it looked like.
One of his most famous murals is Salute to Five Bells. You can see it in the Sydney Opera House. He also created a series of paintings about Lake Eyre and frogs.
In 2013, Olsen started his biggest painting since Salute to Five Bells. It was called The King Sun. This huge artwork is eight meters by six meters wide. It shows a bright Australian sun and includes three frogs. The King Sun is displayed at Collins Square in Melbourne Docklands. A documentary film was made about Olsen and this mural in 2014.
Olsen also published his diaries, called 'Drawn From Life', in 1997.
Awards and Recognition
John Olsen received many important awards for his art:
- In 1977, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
- In 2001, he became an Officer of the Order of Australia. These are high honors in Australia.
- He won the Wynne Prize twice, in 1969 and 1985. This prize is for the best landscape painting of the year.
- In 1989, he won the Sir John Sulman Prize.
- In 2005, he won the famous Archibald Prize for his self-portrait called Self portrait Janus Faced. The Archibald Prize is for the best portrait painting.
Exhibitions
John Olsen's artworks have been shown in many art shows. These shows took place all over Australia and in other countries.
- In 2016, a major exhibition called "John Olsen: The You Beaut Country" was held at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
Art Collections
You can find John Olsen's art in all the main Australian state art galleries. This includes the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. Many regional galleries across Australia also have his works.
Family Life
John Olsen lived near Bowral, New South Wales. He had children. His son, Tim Olsen, wrote a book in 2020 called Son of the Brush. It is about growing up as the son of a famous artist. His daughter, Louise Olsen, helped start a popular Australian jewelry brand called Dinosaur Designs.
John Olsen passed away on 11 April 2023, at his home near Bowral, New South Wales. He was 95 years old.
Images for kids
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John Olsen
