John Henry Olsen, AO, OBE (born 21 January 1928) is an Australian artist and winner of the 2005 Archibald Prize.[1] Olsen's primary subject of work is landscape.
John Olsen was born in Newcastle on 21 January 1928.[2] He moved to Bondi Beach with his family in 1935 and began a lifelong fascination with Sydney Harbour. He attended St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. After leaving school in 1943, he went to the Dattillo Rubbo Art School in 1947 and from 1950 to 1953 studied at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney, and Auburn School from 1950 to 1956. In 1957, Sydney business man, Robert Shaw and his then wife, Annette, supported by art critic Paul Haefliger sponsored John Olsen to go to Europe and paint.[3] After visiting London and Cornwall in England, he left for Europe. Olsen studied printmaking at Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17 etching studio in Paris in 1957, followed by two years in Deià Spain. Olsen sent works back from Spain for his first solo exhibition at Macquarie Galleries Sydney 6–8 August 1958. In the exhibition catalogue artist's statement, Olsen referred to Paul Klee's maxim of 'taking the line for a holiday.' Olsen returned to Sydney in 1960 and began teaching at East Sydney Technical College (now the National Art School) where he had also studied.
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