If this exhibit’s one purpose was to inflict a feeling of home, the gallery’s staff did just that. I was immediately greeted as I walked through the door, told of the evening’s pleasantries, which was quickly followed by an urge to sign a local petition to allow patrons to park outside of the gallery.
Nick Olsen is a Meanjin/Brisbane based painter, primarily depicting his exploration of place through urban landscapes and beachscapes.
In Olsen’s artist bio shared with Red Hill Gallery on their website, he states ‘My artwork is designed to encourage an emotional response within the viewer. I attempt to achieve this by combining a sense of familiarity and nostalgia with a distinct approach to light and colour… In doing so I hope to achieve a sense of place in a way that a variety of viewers can relate to.’
Describing himself as a ‘mid-career artist,’ Olsen’s paintings have brought him overseas and around Australia, but his work makes it incredibly visible where his heart lies. It was no coincidence that Red Hill Gallery hosted Olsen’s exhibition, with many of his works being depictions of Brisbane’s suburban Paddington and Red Hill streets.
The exhibit’s title comes from Australian singer Slim Dusty’s song ‘Looking Forward, Looking Back’, in which Dusty sings ‘Looking forward, looking back – I’ve come a long way down the track. I’ve got a long way left to go, making songs from what I know.’
Although capturing mundane perspectives, Olsen’s work for Looking forward – Looking back, ‘sifts through his memories of places that are important to his development as an artist, often returning to places where he feels free… from beachside holidays, familiar suburban streets or buildings that speak of a sense of place.’
I had two separate conversations during the evening where both a member of staff and a gallery goer spoke of paintings reminding them of beach holiday homes they visited as children. It was very sweet to introduce and listen to them bond and share stories of their childhoods in these homes.
I very quickly noticed the repetition of the caravan motif throughout his works, when searching further I was led to his website where he describes caravans as a representation of a sense of freedom.
It was Olsen’s use of his underpainting as the light and shadows that won me over. The piece that I first noticed this in was in Harbour from the Lane (N.A,) immediately followed by Stripes in the Sky (N.A) and Paddington Pano (N.A.). At the forefront of his works were architectural, geometrical sharp edges using visibly intentional simple brush & palette strokes. Meanwhile, the underpainted light and shadow shone through the layers of paint, creating a warm, homely, and nostalgic feeling.
Although Olsen captured moments of movement in many of his works, for example the sheets on a clothes line in the wind in Morning Glory (N.A) and the wind swept tilted palm trees in Pink Hill (N.A,) the works felt oh so still, as though captured in memory.
For the most part, Olsen’s works shared a cool toned colour palette, the few that didn’t, shared magenta tones that were featured throughout the entire collection. This magenta hue was the first thread I noticed connecting all of the works.
The gallery was lit with a bright stark white light, and I think, in combination with the cool tones that many of the works shared, this aided in the conflict of emotions I was feeling. The comfort of the familiar and nostalgic, with the far, stagnant, coldness of being merely reminders of memory.
The intimate, dimly lit courtyard offered a safe haven from the bright, conflicting emotions I was experiencing inside the gallery. Thanks to the array of cool refreshments, adequate seating, and the entertainment provided to us by the staff running the bar, I was able to take a break and analyse the works from a distance before re-joining the gallery.
Although I was nervous upon first entering the gallery, I was checked in on by staff throughout the evening, asked about my life and my favourite pieces in the exhibition, and recommended other artists’ work featured within the gallery based on the pieces I favoured.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to speak to Olsen personally during the evening, but the staff provided me with much information and fun conversation that I will absolutely be revisiting the gallery and Olsen’s works which are frequently displayed throughout the Red Hill Gallery outside of Looking forward – Looking back’s exhibition’s dates.
Works Cited
Red Hill Gallery. “Looking Forward – Looking Back.” 2025, at https://www.nickolsen.live/
Nick Olsen. “Nick Olsen Art.” N.A, at https://redhillgallery.com.au/collections/looking-forward-looking-back
Claudia Thorp is a curator, ceramicist and emerging writer living on Yuggera & Turrbal land. Find her on Instagram @claudia.thorp @eyefleur
