The Newcastle Art Gallery Youth Advisory Group acknowledges the Awabakal and Worimi people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and live, and pay our deepest respects to Elders past, present and future. The Youth Advisory Group is dedicated to honouring the culture and traditions of our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through the visual arts.
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Y2C
John Olsen
NAG Collection Artist
John OLSEN, OBE, AO Cat Kitchen (black and white) 1973 lithograph (ed. 7/25) 72.4 x 93.9cm Purchased 1973 Newcastle Art Gallery collection Courtesy the artist
Often referred to as one of Australia’s greatest living artists, Dr John Olsen AO OBE is a Novocastrian living treasure. Born in Newcastle in 1928, Olsen is well-known for his playful and distinctive painting style and in particular for his depictions of the landscape.
In 2001 Olsen was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO). In 1977 he was awarded the O.B.E. for services to the Arts and in 1993 he was awarded an Australian Creative Fellowship. He was also awarded the Wynne Prize in 1969 and 1985 amongst many other awards throughout his career.
"John Olsen is not an abstract artist; he is one of the great evocative painters. His link to poetry is his other great strength. I feel he has been gifted in his ability to understand beauty and still praise the ugly, the uneven, the difficult. His work also spans and masters many disciplines."
- Tim Olsen
“I’M INSPIRED BY ARTISTS LIKE VIRGINIA CUPPAIDGE, BRETT MCMAHON, MAZIE TURNER, GRACE COSSINGTON SMITH AND JOHN OLSEN. MY WORK MAY NOT LOOK LIKE ITS INSPIRED BY THEM, BUT IN SOME WAY THEIR USES OF COLOUR AND LINEWORK ARE REALLY INSPIRING. IT’S VERY FREE AND UNIQUE AND I LOVE THAT.” — E. WILKS.