John Olsen (born 25 May 1938) is a Danish sculptor, illustrator and painter.

Biography

Born in

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

, Olsen was first trained at the

Royal Copenhagen Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory ( da, Den Kongelige Porcelænsfabrik), is a Danish manufacturer of porcelain products and was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Danish Dowager Queen Juliane Marie. It i ...

porcelain factory before studying at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dan ...

under

Mogens Bøggild Mogens Kruse Bøggild (11 June 1901 – 25 April 1987) was a Danish sculptor. He specialized in figures of animals, including the granite ''Grisebrønden'' (Pig Fountain) in Aarhus which he created from 1941 to 1950. Biography Born in Hillerød, a ...

and Holger Jensen (1960–65). Inspired by nature, Olsen's works often emphasize details which would normally be overlooked but which he transforms into objects of beauty. His graphic works include studies of rocks or flocks of birds in Iceland or the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...

. His paintings often address birds or snowy landscapes. Olsen also draws on nature for his raw materials, making use of branches, animal skulls or stuffed birds. His creations depict nature's decay, evoking the fragility of life and the imminence of death while giving death itself beauty in its own right. At the 1995

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

, Olsen exhibited ''Resonans'', a large sculpture inspired by an armadillo shell, as well as many other items based on his favourite subjects and materials. Other works from the mid-1990s include drawings he created in the sauna where charcoal and chalk interact with sweat and steam, resulting in the reddish-brown works known as ''Svedetegninger'' (Sweat Drawings). In connection with John Olsen's 70th birthday on 25 May 2008, a retrospective exhibition of his work opened in the Johannes Larsen Museum in

Kerteminde Kerteminde (nickname: ''Min Amandas by'', i.e. ''My Amanda's town''), is a town in central Denmark, located in Kerteminde Municipality on the island of Funen. The town has a population of 6,042 (1 January 2022).

. The exhibition was later presented at other museums, including Hosltebro Museum from 13 September 2008.

Awards

In 1985, Olsen was awarded the

Eckersberg Medal The Eckersberg Medal (originally the ''Akademiets Aarsmedaille'' or Annual Academy Medal) is an annual award of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It is named after Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, known as the father of Danish painting. The Ec ...

and, in 1997, the

Thorvaldsen Medal The Thorvaldsen Medal ( Danish: Thorvaldsens Medalje, Thorvaldsen Medaillen) is awarded annually with few exceptions to a varying number of recipients by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and is its highest distinction within the visual arts. I ...

References

Literature

External links

Examples of John Olsen's work from Clausens KunsthandelIllustrated list of John Olsen's works in Danish museums from Kunstindeks Danmark
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olsen, John 1938 births Living people 20th-century Danish painters Danish sculptors Danish male artists People from Roskilde Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal 20th-century sculptors Male sculptors 20th-century Danish male artists