A show of hands please for those of you who have had a 7 decade long career? Australia’s greatest living artist, John Olsen will open his show, The You Beaut Country at NGV Australia this weekend.
This morning, 88 year old John Olsen is putting the finishing touches on a floor-to-ceiling mural at the entrance to his landmark retrospective exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre – evidence that we are dealing with an artist who has lost none of his passion for the creative pursuit. The You Beaut Country exhibition reveals someone who has managed to retain creative vitality throughout his career, capturing the spirit of our Australian landscape.
‘John Olsen is one of Australia’s most distinguished artists. Traversing a lifetime of creativity, this exhibition will offer an extraordinary and in-depth insight into Olsen’s life and practice. From his first exhibition in 1955 to the highly anticipated, most recent work in The you beaut country series, the exhibition will showcase Olsen’s major paintings and works on paper alongside lesser-known aspects of Olsen’s practice’ – Tony Ellwood, Director, NGV.
The exhibition will survey Olsen’s entire career (he was born in 1928) and feature his most iconic and arresting works, including large-scale paintings of Lake Eyre, the Simpson Desert, Sydney Harbour and his much-loved tree frogs.
John Olsen: The You Beaut Country will open to the public at NGV Australia at Federation Square from 16 September 2016 to 12 February 2017 before travelling to the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Need to know:
- NGV Australia is located at Corner Russell and Flinders Street at Federation Square.
- Admission fees apply.
- Open 10am – 5pm daily.
Get Social:
- For more information, head to the NGV website.
Pictured at top: Portrait of John Olsen by Hugh Stewart © Hugh Stewart
The Garb Wire 