John Olsen.

John Olsen AO OBE (1928-2023) was one of Australia's most famous and celebrated artists and was the winner of the 2005 Archibald Prize for self-portrait, along with innumerable other art prizes. His illustrious career spanned many decades and his work is represented in all major Australian collections.

Olsen's diverse portfolio includes series like Lake Eyre and frogs. A frequent visitor to Lake Eyre, he declined an invitation in 2011 to join a party that tragically ended in a helicopter crash, citing health reasons. Later, he honored the deceased with a painting and a poem.

Among his later works is 'Golden Summer, Clarendon,' and the Sydney Opera House proudly houses one of Olsen's most successful murals, 'Salute to Five Bells.' Despite being categorized as an abstract artist, Olsen adamantly refuted the label, asserting, "I have never painted an abstract painting in my life." He characterized his art as "an exploration of the totality of landscape." In 1997, Olsen published his diaries in the book 'Drawn From Life.' Another publication, 'My Salute to Five Bells,' containing the artist's thoughts, diary entries, and original drawing for the work, was released by the National Library of Australia in 2015.

Honeyeaters - 1997  |  $70,000

Synthetic polymer paint, pastel and crayon on paper.
98x92cm