John Olsen’s (1928–2023) vibrant paintings of life and energy within the natural world illuminate the Sydney Opera House’s sails in the annual Lighting of the Sails for Vivid Sydney 2023, viewable from 6–11pm (AEST) until 17 June in-person at Circular Quay and online.
Life Enlivened, 2023, spotlights the late artist’s enduring interest and fascination with Australian nature and landscape and celebrates the propulsive power of Olsen’s painterly brush to envision the natural world anew. Through images of fifteen key artworks, selected by curator Dr Deborah Hart and brought to life by a combination of traditional hand-crafted animation and the latest AI-powered motion technology by creative technologists Curiious, Life Enlivened moves through Olsen’s time as an artist coming into his own in the early 1960s, where he was struck by the dynamism of Sydney Harbour intersecting with the metropolis – pulsing with luminosity and water. Later works are also spotlighted, from his travels with environmentalists and filmmakers to regional Australia, where he encountered vast areas of the country with rivers running, like those weaving to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, and fertile habitats such as lily ponds; the inspiration of birds and frogs invigorating his line.
John Olsen, Sydney Sun, 1965, oil on three hardboard panels (ceiling), 307 × 412.5 × 4cm National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT, Australia, Purchased with funds from the Nerissa Johnson Bequest 2000 (NGA 2000.342.A-C) Courtesy National Gallery of Australia, Australian Capital Territory
“Olsen’s drawings are often as succinct as haiku poems, while his paintings at times inhabit space with swathes of luminous floating colour energised by his dynamic line and myriad signs of life. His poetic vision seems made for the idea of Vivid, enlivening the way we see the world around us and reminding us that art, poetry and environment can coexist quite naturally,” says Hart.
Go online for more information on Vivid Sydney 2023’s program and sub-programs.
