John Olsen

With a vast and varied oeuvre spanning more than seven decades, John Olsen profoundly changed the face of Australian landscape painting and was hailed as one of Australia’s greatest artists. From the pulsating, larrikin energy of his You Beaut Country series to the quieter, more metaphysical paintings inspired by his expeditions to Lake Eyre, his unique interpretations of the natural environment became indelibly etched on the national psyche. His signature technique fusing painting and drawing revealed the hand and eye of the artist with every stroke, imbuing the painted surface with irrepressible energy and palpable joie de vivre.

Olsen first visited Lake Eyre in October 1974 with naturalist Vincent Serventy, witnessing the lake’s largest flood in 500 years. This profoundly affected his artistic vision, the ephemeral experience of fullness out of emptiness perfectly fitting his understanding of Buddhist and Zen principles. His distinctive style of exuberant mark-making combined with mastery of colour charted the countryside, coast, deserts and city, reflecting a strong sense of place and distinctly Australian sensibility, earning him the Wynne Prize, Sulman Prize, and Archibald Prize.