How timely that I have been writing about Olsen and an article of his appears! He is now coined as ''Australia's greatest living artist'' and to my mind he is. I love some of the quotes in the article....
Olsen on Painting
''It's always instinctive. I move towards an idea, exploring. I become the landscape, flower, frog as I paint them. I never plan how a finished painting will look. Don't be too intellectually involved in meaning, because somehow meaning looks after itself.''
I can't agree more with that - in some way it is like a philosophy about life as well, you instinctive move towards creating the life you want, you never just sit there and plan it all out, I guess that is why for me his works have so much life in them because they flow and are truly extensions of a remarkable man's remarkable self.
Olsen on Using Imagination
''The problem with the internet and computers is, the information is all exterior. Imagination requires an interior understanding. If you read poetry , which I do daily, you must let it come inside you to grasp its meaning.''
I think as we are bombarded with more images and the way to create images become easier, images could sometimes been produced for its visual impact rather than from the heart and soul of the artist.
Olsen on being called Australia's greatest living artist
''People expect you to paint a Rembrandt masterpiece everyday, which is nonsense; no one can do that. Right now, I am painting a raw prawn. It 's such fun;....I'm not going to be Rembrandt today''
That is so great, that is precisely why I admire the man - he really does it because he is having fun and loving it!
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