Title
Entrance to the seaport of desire
1964
Artist
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Details
- Date
- 1964
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- synthetic polymer paint on canvas
- Dimensions
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167.6 x 213.4 cm stretcher; 171.7 x 219.0 x 5.5 cm frame
:
0 - Whole, 166.3 x 212 cm, SIGHT DIMENSION
- Signature & date
Signed l.r. corner, black synthetic polymer paint [faded] "John/ Olsen".
Dated l.r. corner, blue synthetic polymer paint "'64".- Credit
- Gift of Mrs M.A. McGrath 1968
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- OA23.1968
- Copyright
- © Estate of John Olsen/Copyright Agency
- Artist information
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John Olsen
Works in the collection
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About
By 1963, John Olsen was living in a fisherman's cottage at Watson's Bay, close to the entrance of Sydney Harbour. Responding to the rhythmic topography of Sydney's distinctive landforms, Olsen painted a number of works during 1963 and 1964 which are resplendent in their vivacious use of colour.
Inspired by the lavish sculptural architecture of the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi, whose cathedral El Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família he had seen in Barcelona, Olsen's landscapes heave and swell through a textured web of line and shapes.
He later wrote in 1973:
"I've always thought of the formation of Sydney's land forms as a bitch goddess and frankly at times it frightens me. The breasty contours of its hills ... when your [sic] sailing through the heads you feel as though your [sic] sailing through her arms - And when you are coming into her you feel you are going deeper and you are caught in her spidery net."© Australian Art Department, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2000
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Exhibition history
Shown in 8 exhibitions
The Artist and the City, Art Museum Armidale, Armidale, 01 Nov 1983–04 Nov 1983
The Artist and the City, Tamworth City Gallery, Tamworth, 08 Nov 1983–11 Nov 1983
The Artist and the City, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Manly, 15 Nov 1983–20 Nov 1983
The Artist and the City, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 26 Nov 1983–18 Dec 1983
John Olsen retrospective (1991-92), National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], Melbourne, 01 Nov 1991–02 Feb 1992
John Olsen retrospective (1991-92), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 08 May 1992–28 Jun 1992
Big Blue - the painted harbour (1997), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 Jun 1997–29 Mar 1998
Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000
Harbourlife: Sydney Harbour from the 1940s to recent times, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Manly, 30 Nov 2007–13 Jan 2008
Harbourlife: Sydney Harbour from the 1940s to recent times, Macquarie University Art Gallery, Sydney, 23 Jan 2008–08 Mar 2008
Gallery A Sydney Exhibition, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown, 21 Mar 2009–03 May 2009
Gallery A Sydney Exhibition, Newcastle Art Gallery, Newcastle, 09 May 2009–19 Jul 2009
Destination Sydney, Mosman Art Gallery, Mosman, 05 Dec 2015–07 Feb 2016
John Olsen The You Beaut Country, Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne, 16 Sep 2016–12 Feb 2017
John Olsen The You Beaut Country, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 10 Mar 2017–12 Jun 2017
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Bibliography
Referenced in 13 publications
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Anne Beveridge, Daily telegraph, 'Gentle art of shocking a staid older Sydney', pg. 105, Sydney, 09 May 2009, 105 (illus.). Exhibition review of 'Gallery A, Sydney 1964-1983'. Photograph of Olsen and Ann Lewis infront of 'Entrance to the seaport of desire'.
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Gary Catalano, The years of hope: Australian art and criticism 1959-1968, 'Childhood themes', pg. 48-59, Melbourne, 1981, 52 (colour illus.).
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Deborah Hart, John Olsen, Sydney, 1991, 71 (colour illus.). cat.no. 40
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David Hurlston and Deborah Edwards (Editors), John Olsen: the You Beaut Country, Melbourne, 2016, 81 (colour illus.).
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Glenis Israel, Artwise: visual arts 7-10, Milton, 2004, 118, 119 (colour illus.).
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Glenis Israel, Art Wise - Visual Arts years 7-10, Queensland, 1997.
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Brian Ladd, The Artist & the City, 'Introduction', pg. 4-5, Sydney, 1983, 5, 13 (colour illus.). cat.no. 28
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Patrick McCaughey, Encounters with Australian modern art, 'John Olsen and Jeffrey Smart', pg. 116-128, South Yarra, 2008, 117, 118. General reference
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John Murphy, Gallery A Sydney 1964 - 1983, Campbelltown, 2009, 121 (illus., detail). Exhibited at Gallery A Sydney, 1964; B&W photograph of John Olsen standing infront of this painting and Ann Lewis beside it on page 121.
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Jill Sykes (Editor), Look, Sydney, Mar 2010, 47 (colour illus.). Members what's on section
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The Brett Whiteley Studio (Editor), Big blue: the painted harbour (list of works), Sydney, 1997.
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Total Environment Centre, Sydney Harbour 2000: Environment Audit and Management, Sydney, 1996, cover (illus.).
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Gavin Wilson, Harbourlife, 'harbourlife', pg. 7-32, Sydney, 2007, 55, 16, 17 (colour illus.).
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