“A titan of the Australian art world”: John Olsen passes away at 95
Celebrated Australian artist John Olsen has passed away at the age of 95, surrounded by his loved ones.
Olsen’s children - daughter Louise and son Tim - were with him, and it was Tim who confirmed the news of their loss to The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Apart from our First Nation artists, he changed the perspective and way that Australians looked at our magnificent landscape,” he said. “He was a landscape poet to the end, and a titan of the Australian art world.”
Olsen, who was born in Newcastle in 1928, was considered a legend within the Australian art community. An expert across different mediums - from ceramics to tapestry, printmaking, and his beloved painting - his career spanned six decades, and saw him win both the Archibald Prize in 2005 as well as the Wynne Prize in 1969 and 1985.
His accolades didn’t stop there, with Olsen earning an OBE in 1977 for his services to the arts, as well as becoming an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2001.
“It took a lot of courage to be an artist in those days and he had no hesitation but to run with it and in art he found his calling,” Tim said of his father’s career, and his well-earned achievements.
Those in the art community - and beyond - who had the honour of knowing Olsen and his work paid tribute to their friend, and to his impressive portfolio highlighting the beauty of the Australian landscape - a subject which he kept coming back to throughout his career, and one that steered Olsen on his path to inspire people all across the nation.
"Sad news,” wrote journalist Hugh Riminton. “I doubt there's any Australian whose eye has not been caught by his work at some point.
“John Olsen captured the very best of our country in the most magical way. In losing John, we have lost one of the greatest artists Australia has ever seen,” said NSW Premier Chris Minns, alongside a portrait of Olsen. “And someone who tirelessly championed the arts, as a pivotal part of Australia's cultural identity. A proud boy from Newcastle.”
“John Olsen captured the raw beauty of Australian landscapes with his unique style,” tweeted Australia’s Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek. “His bursts of colour and sweeping landscapes have helped shape how we see ourselves as a country.”
“Vale John Olsen,” wrote The National Portrait Gallery, before adding that they were “deeply saddened by the passing of John Olsen AO OBE. A gifted painter, John was one of the major figures of twentieth-century Australian art.”
“John Olsen was a giant who never lost the twinkle in his eye,” said Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “A man of talent, charisma, generosity and humility, he was a poet of the brush, a truly great explorer and interpreter of the Australian landscape.”
Images: Getty, Twitter, John Olsen