Fans of Margaret Olley may be surprised by what they discover if they visit the UQ Art Museum from February 6.
Margaret Olley: Life's journey traces the many places the artist has lived and worked over the years, featuring many rarely exhibited works depicting locations from romantic Paris to the remote and exotic New Guinea Highlands.
The exhibition includes over 80 art works on paper drawn from national, state and private collections, as well as the artist's own, and provides a unique look at Olley's celebrated career.
"Travel abroad has been an important aspect of professional development for many Australian artists, and this exhibition documents the fascinating story of Margaret Olley's journeys to Europe in the late 1940s and early '50s, New Guinea in the 1950s, followed by extensive travel through East Asia and Europe in the 1960s and early '70s," curator Michele Helmrich said.
"It provides a unique insight into the world around Margaret Olley from the early 1950s to the 1970s, years which help define an important era in Australia's cultural life."
While France, Italy and South East Asia figure prominently in the show, the depictions of local landmarks are also highlights.
"Brisbane audiences will be intrigued by Olley's watercolours of a Brisbane that has since been transformed, particularly her portrayal of the Old Victoria Bridge, and a streetscape more recently occupied by the Queensland Art Gallery and Performing Arts Centre," Ms Helmrich said.
"The New South Wales cities of Newcastle and Sydney are also represented, as is Hill End, the old gold-mining town that attracted artists such as Donald Friend, Russell Drysdale, and art critic Paul Haefliger and his artist wife, Jean Bellette."
The University of Queensland awarded Margaret Olley an honorary Doctor of Letters in 1999, in recognition of her 50 years service to the arts and her philanthropic endeavours.
Margaret Olley: Life's journey is open free to the public from February 6 to April 19, before touring to Sydney and Newcastle. A fully illustrated catalogue, featuring an extended interview with the artist, will also accompany the exhibition.
A series of related podcasts are available from the Art Museum website, where you can hear interviews with the artist, her biographer Christine France and Museum Director Nick Mitzevich.
The UQ Art Museum is open from 10am-4pm daily with parking free on weekends.
Media: Nick Mitzevich (0434 361 383, 07 3365 3046, n.mitzevich@uq.edu.au) or Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)
** High resolution images are available for download here
