At 80 John Olsen is widely acknowledged as the grand old man of current Australian art. Yet, writing as someone who has reviewed art over the years in 20 different countries, I cannot help regretting that John's art is still so little known outside this country. Not only does this deprive the artist of the kind of international recognition he deserves but it also deprives a potential world-wide audience of a truly rich and life-enhancing experience. ... more info

To say that it is John Olsen's year is beyond dispute. He walked away comfortably with this year's Archibald Prize with barely a hint of the usual animosity and controversy, with most commentators agreeing that regardless of the old man's prestige, it was a winning work all the way. That was closely followed by a brilliantly curated survey exhibition at the Tarrawarra Museum of Modern Art, still on show and well worth the journey to Healesville. ... more info

John Olsen is recognised nationally and internationally as one of Australia's most significant and accomplished artsts. in this major publication on Olsen's art and life, Deborah Hart comprehensively surveys his development from his early work to the present, revealing this artist's extraordinary versatility and breath of creative vision. ... more info

In 1957 a Sydney businessman who recognised the immense talent of the young John Olsen paid him to go to Majorca and paint. The businessman sold most of the paintings for a profit and Olsen was transformed by the influences of European art and the Mediterranean. ... more info

Robert Jacks is recognised as one of Australia's most significant and accomplished artists. His art, like himself, is elegant, sophisticated and gregarious. Jacks studied sculpture and painting at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and held his first critically acclaimed solo exhibition in 1966. Soon after, he moved to New York to participate in the conceptually orientated minalist movement that had taken root there. ... more info

For an artist, the studio is the engine room of his or her creativity. It is both playground and prison cell, the place where long, long days are spent wrestling with the Muse. For the public the artist’s studio is a mysterious and magical place where an infinite diversity of images are brought to life. STUDIO: Australian Painters on the Nature of Creativity showcases 61 important painters working in their studio environment. ... more info