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Lot Essay
In 1973 Olley was dividing her time between Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane and was producing a number of paintings and exhibiting widely. In 1970 she had been devestated by the sudden death of her great friend the artist David Strachan. A three year period of bereavement followed and as Pearce noted, it was only in 1973 that her optimism returned and her palette lightened. (B Pearce, op.cit, p.27)
When viewed closely, the brushwork of Ranunculus and Fruits I is light and feathery, with the actual application of paint appearing quick and relatively thin. Yet the overall impression of the work is highly finished and lustrous, with a play of light and depth of shadow that recalls the still-lifes executed by the Dutch masters of the 17th century. There are many motifs that are characteristic of lley's work in this painting and in particular the use of yellow and orange which appears time and again in her paintings. The ordered, linear placement of the vessels is softened and disrupted by the scattered petals and the arching flowers in the pitcher. These devices also work towards a visual continuity that links the items and creates a more informal mood.
Christine France wrote of this painting: "It cannot be denied that much of her work does have a strong element of celebration. In Ranunculus and Fruits I, the frieze-like arrangement bathed in a bright, even light against a dark, impenetrable background is indebted to the Spanish painter, Zubran, but where Zuburan's works are usually governed by a strict symmetry, Olley's works are balanced asymmetrically using both form and colour while the presence of not one, but two, bunches of flowers convey an exuberance not present in the Spanish work." (C France, op.cit, p.48)
When viewed closely, the brushwork of Ranunculus and Fruits I is light and feathery, with the actual application of paint appearing quick and relatively thin. Yet the overall impression of the work is highly finished and lustrous, with a play of light and depth of shadow that recalls the still-lifes executed by the Dutch masters of the 17th century. There are many motifs that are characteristic of lley's work in this painting and in particular the use of yellow and orange which appears time and again in her paintings. The ordered, linear placement of the vessels is softened and disrupted by the scattered petals and the arching flowers in the pitcher. These devices also work towards a visual continuity that links the items and creates a more informal mood.
Christine France wrote of this painting: "It cannot be denied that much of her work does have a strong element of celebration. In Ranunculus and Fruits I, the frieze-like arrangement bathed in a bright, even light against a dark, impenetrable background is indebted to the Spanish painter, Zubran, but where Zuburan's works are usually governed by a strict symmetry, Olley's works are balanced asymmetrically using both form and colour while the presence of not one, but two, bunches of flowers convey an exuberance not present in the Spanish work." (C France, op.cit, p.48)