John Olsen
(Australia, England, Spain, Portugal 21 Jan 1928– )
- Title
- Spanish encounter
- Place of origin
-
Sydney →
New South Wales →
Australia
- Year
- 1960
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- triptych: oil on hardboard
- Dimensions
-
triptych: 183.0 x 366.0cm board overall; 185.0 x 367.4 x 5.0cm frame overall:
a - left panel; 183 x 122cm; board
b - centre panel; 183 x 122cm; board
c - right panel; 183 x 122cm; board
- Signature & date
- Signed and dated l.r. corner right panel [part c], black oil "J.O/ '60".
- Credit
- Purchased 1960
- Accession number
- OA29.1960.a-c
- Copyright
- © AGNSW
- Location
- 20th & 21st c Australian art
- Further information
Shortly after his work was shown in 1956 in 'Direction I', an exhibition of abstract works, with Robert Klippel, John Passmore, William Rose and Eric Smith, John Olsen travelled to Europe. He went initially to London, then Paris and onto Spain, where he lived mostly on the island of Majorca. During this period he was influenced by the Tachist artists Antonio Tàpies and Jean Dubuffet, as well as Surrealism and Expressionism.
'Spanish encounter' was painted soon after Olsen’s return to Australia in 1960. It encapsulates a vitality stemming from Olsen’s experience of Spain combined with the pulsating activity of Sydney's inner-city life, which struck the artist upon his return. Surging across three panels, gestural black lines are punctuated by bursts of brown, yellow and burnt ochre. These elements exemplify Olsen's commitment to the act of painting as a total experience, fusing process with subject matter.
- Bibliography (26)
-
'A horse designed by a committee: Revisiting the Tate's 1963 survey of Australian painting' by Simon Pierse, pg. 118-125., Art and Australia (Vol. 47, No. 1) 2009, 2009, 5 (colour illus., detail), 122-123 (colour illus.).
Deutscher-Menzies, Sydney (Australia), Lawson-Menzies (Australia), Deutscher-Menzies & Lawson-Menzies, Sydney: Fine art auction - 10 December 2008, Sydney, 2008, 62, 65 (colour illus.).
Maudie Palmer (b.1944) (Editor), Encounters with Australian modern art, South Yarra, 2008, 116, 117. General reference
'Master of his domain' by Sebastian Smee, pg. 18-19., The Weekend Australian 13 Aug 2005-14 Aug 2005, 13 Aug 2005-14 Aug 2005, 19.
'Darkness in the light: a fresh focus on the art of John Olsen' by Jill Sykes, pg. 14-17., Look Apr 2005, Apr 2005, 14-15 (colour illus.), 16.
'John Olsen' by Jennifer Byrne, pg. 34-36., Bulletin 03 Aug 2004, 03 Aug 2004, 34.
'Spanish encounter' by Michael Kessler, pg. 16-17., The Weekend Australian 05 Jun 2004-06 Jun 2004, 05 Jun 2004-06 Jun 2004, 17 (colour illus.).
Read-to-go Art Picture pack 2000, 2000, (colour illus.). card no. 7
Lou Klepac (Australia; Croatia, b.1936) (Author), Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Bruce James (Australia) (Author), John McDonald (Australia, b.1961) (Author), Peter Pinson (Australia, b.1943) (Author), Gavin Fry (Author), Sasha Grishin AM (Australia) (Author), Deborah Hart (South Africa; United Kingdom; Australia, b.1959) (Author), Australian painters of the twentieth century, Roseville, 2000, 197, 198 (colour illus., detail), 199 (colour illus.), 203.
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 249 (colour illus.), 301.
Aspects of Australian art 2000, 2000, (colour illus.). card no. 11: John Olsen 'Spanish encounter' 1960
Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, Domain, 1999, 162 (colour illus.).
'1.3 The elements of design', pg. 8-11., Art is ... making, creating and appreciating 2 1999, 1999, 8 (colour illus.).
Lynne Seear (Australia) (Editor), Julie Ewington (Australia) (Editor), Brought to light: Australian Art 1850-1965, South Brisbane, 1998, 282.
Ewen McDonald (Australia) (Editor), The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections, Sydney, 1994, 72 (colour illus.).
Deborah Hart (South Africa; United Kingdom; Australia, b.1959) (Author), John Olsen, East Roseville, 1991, 45, 49, 51, 52-53 (colour illus.), 175. cat.no. 23
Annabel Davie (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook, Domain, 1988, 32.
'Art and memory' by Christopher Leonard, pg. 369-375, Art and Australia (Vol. 24, No. 3) Autumn 1987, Autumn 1987, 369, 371 (illus.).
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Fifteen decades of Australian paintings, Sydney, 1981, (colour illus.).
Editor Unknown (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales picturebook, Domain, 1972, 126 (colour illus.).
Virginia Spate (Australia) (Author), John Olsen, Melbourne, 1963, 9-111, 17, (colour illus.). colour plate no. 5
Author Unknown (Author), The Adelaide Festival of Arts 1962: Special exhibitions at the National Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 1962. not paginated; cat.no. 165
'Acquisitions for 1960', pg. 58-67., Art Gallery of New South Wales Quarterly Apr 1961, Apr 1961, 58, 64 (illus.).
Nation 08 Oct 1960, 08 Oct 1960.
The Sydney Morning Herald 06 Oct 1960, 06 Oct 1960.
Sun Herald 06 Oct 1960, 06 Oct 1960.
- Exhibition history (7)
-
John Olsen (1960), Clune Galleries, Oct 1960 -.
Purchases and Acquisitions for 1960, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Mar 1961–23 Apr 1961.
Australian Painting: Colonial, Impressionist, Contemporary (1962-63), National Gallery of South Australia, 17 Mar 1962–31 Mar 1962.
John Olsen retrospective (1991-92), National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 01 Nov 1991–02 Feb 1992.
John Olsen retrospective (1991-92), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 08 May 1992–28 Jun 1992.
Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.
Donde voy: Self portraits in moments of doubt, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 17 May 2005 -.
