The third piece seen in the art exhibition was ‘Sydney sun’ (King sun) (1965). This visual metaphor by John Olsen, is one of his most optimistic and life-enhancing artworks. With the artwork representing our interdependence with the natural world, Olsen has developed a deep understanding for the environment and the world we live in today (NGA, 2010). Olsen has attempted to convey the mood of this painted sun and its details, rather than just painting a plain sun. He also conveys the experience and feelings felt in his painting. Olsen, living most of his life in the Mediterranean culture, found the local environment of Sydney alluringly vibrant and alive when returning to Australia (NGA, 2010). “I recall coming into the Harbour in the early…show more content… Olsen was dumbfounded by how much energy was in the urban life and by the brightness of the lights (NGA, 2010). In this art piece, Olsen has portrayed the exuberant vitality of Sydney. In this art piece, Olsen endeavoured to learn and experience a sense of new kind of figuration (NGA, 2010). This means that Olsen wished to go beyond a literal painting representation, but still wanted to incorporate imagery and its content (NGA, 2010). It is also noted that Olsen’s painted has a particular abstract quality. This may be due to Olsen always endeavouring to express an animistic quality, with a certain mystical throbbing throughout nature (NGA, 2010). Because of this, Olsen has put significant effort to bridge the gap between abstraction and figuration, with his interest in Zen Buddhism (NGA, 2010). In Olsen’s 1958 journal, he states “Zen realises that our nature is at one with objective nature … in the sense that we live in nature and nature lives in us” (NGA, 2010). In this piece, Olsen had created a golden orb which provide powerful life giving energy, with rays that come off the orb being exploratory (NGA,…show more content… This artwork contains multiple viewpoints, incorporating below, above, inside and outside, with the microcosm and macrocosm (NGA, 2010). Olsen has also used Indigenous art concepts, which he has always greatly admired (NGA, 2010). This painting was originally presented as a ceiling painting. This is an example of one of Olsen’s most significant ceiling paintings he ever created. By this artwork being presenting on the ceiling, the luxurious and magnificent colours appeared to pour down from the ceilings and walls, which gave the art piece a sense of vitalism and colouristic (NGA, 2010). ‘Metaphorically Speaking’ is shown through this artwork via post-modernist approaches through the use of optimism and a sense of life enhancing work that goes beyond the specificities of the location, and it also having universal implications. All elements of the artwork represent John Olsen’s interpretation of ‘Metaphorically Speaking’ as a metaphor for a passionate and imaginative response to the natural
