Are painters Ben Quilty and John Olsen so dissimilar? Sure, they may be a generation (or two) apart, but they both engage with the world around them – its joys and its darker side – with a creative passion that is rivalled by few.
The pair met 15 years ago, and share a regular drink together. What do they chat about? ArtsHub spoke to them on the occasion of Olsen’s exhibition Goya’s Dog at Ngununggula, on what it is to place their careers regionally; facing depression (or not), and the role mentorship plays in shaping legacies.
