A tour behind locked doors

We headed to the State Theatre on Melbourne’s St Kilda Road to take a peek at the three theatres that make up the Arts Centre. The tour included the theatre designs and the paintings chosen for each location.

John Olsen’s Lake Eyre Series

During the 1970s, John Olsen journeyed into Central Australia with a naturalist to Lake Eyre. This remote lake below sea level was usually a dried up salt pan, but on Olsen’s trip it had rained. The area was then overrun by thousands of fish and pelicans.

John Olsen’s Sea Paintings

After the artist spent several years in Europe, he returned to Australia. As explained in a video at the NGV exhibition, most Australians live around a saucer — from Bristbane around to Perth — following the coast.

John Olsen Exhibition

This well known artist had never been near the top of my most admired Australian artists, but after viewing his exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, his work left a deep impression on me.