SMH: King-of-bright John Olsen reveals his dark and melancholy side

SMH: King-of-bright John Olsen reveals his dark and melancholy side

Article by John McDonald

The public Olsen is a great performer but occasionally, alone in the studio at night, a different persona emerges. John Olsen: Goya’s Dog is an exhibition originally conceived by the late Bill Wright, and followed through by National Art School director Steven Alderton.

The idea, as explained in a letter that Wright wrote to Olsen, was to look at the artist’s “introspective” paintings.

Read more through the link below.

Image: John Olsen, Donde voy? Self-portraits in moments of doubt, 1989, oil on canvas (diptych), 183 x 366 cm, Private collection, Sydney
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Spend your weekend at ZAHALKAWORLD: an artist’s archive, a major survey exhibition of Anne Zahalka, one of Australia’s most highly regarded photo-media artists.  A Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) touring exhibition in a new way.  Plan your visit at the link in bio.  _  Anne Zahalka, The Sunbather #1, 1989, from the series Bondi: playground of the Pacific chromogenic print, 49 x 49 cm, Courtesy of the artist, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne and Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney.
“I love the magic of watching a photo develop, but I also loved the idea of paintings by the great masters. I found myself being drawn to the art canon and then finding my own visual language to place it in a contemporary setting.” - Anne Zahalka  Read more about Anne Zahalka and her major survey exhibition ZAHALKAWORLD – an artist’s archive in The Sydney Morning Herald’s profile at the link in bio.  A Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) touring exhibition in a new way.
_  Anne Zahalka, The Cook (Michael Schmidt/architect, cook) 1987, from the series Resemblance, silver dye bleach print 80 x 80 cm, Museum of Australian Photography, City of Monash, Collection acquired with the assistance of The Robert Salzer Foundation 2019. Images courtesy of the artist, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne and Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney.
We’re Hiring!  Academic Administrator - Application Deadline Sunday 29 September  The Academic Administrative Assistant plays a crucial support role within the National Art School (NAS), providing administrative assistance for academic affairs and executive support to key leadership positions. This role works closely with the Academic Leadership Team to ensure efficient operations and support for NAS’s academic functions. This role is a six month fixed term contract, four days per week.  Learning Designer - Application Deadline Sunday 29 September  The Learning Designer is a crucial role within the National Art School (NAS), supporting the Head of Learning and Teaching in curriculum development and program reaccreditation. This position is responsible for managing the current learning portal and overseeing the transition to a new SharePoint/LMS system, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, student-centric online learning experiences.  Visit the link in bio to learn more.
Weekend plans? Discover ZAHALKAWORLD: an artist’s archive, a major survey exhibition of Anne Zahalka, one of Australia’s most highly regarded photo-media artists.  A Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) touring exhibition in a new way.  Plan your visit at the link in bio.  _  Anne Zahalka, Exotic birds, 2017, from the series Wild Life 2006–17, chromogenic print, 80 x 80 cm. Courtesy of the artist, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne and Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney.
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