As one of Australia's most celebrated artists, John Olsen's career has spanned more than seven decades. His work is known for its bold colour and energised colour, blending both representation and pictorial abstraction, he primarily represents and is known for his depictions of the Australian landscape.
Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, John Olsen began his formal art studies at 19 at the Dattilo Rubbo Art School, at the Julian Ashton School, and at the East Sydney Technical College. In 1955, travelling the Europe on a private scholarship, he was recognised as en emerging force in the Australian art world.
John Olsen's experiences across the Australia have reflected in his artworks, and after a trip to the old NSW mining town of Hill End in 1960, he created his You Beaut Country series, beginning a lifelong interest in representing the landscape and Australian identity.
Similarly, an experience in the Australian rainforests in 1971 saw John Olsen holding a frog, it was here that the shape and motion of the frog captured his attention, and he was entranced. Frogs became a common motif in many of his artworks, spanning various mediums including painting and pottery decoration.
