The people have chosen.
Tim Olsen Takes Out Nib People's Choice Prize Words Nicola Smith Photo Greg Weight Eastern Suburbs gallerist Tim Olsen has described his career as an art dealer as “glorified salesmanship” when compared to the work of his artistic family. Now, his own creative efforts have been recognised, with his memoir, Son of the Brush, winning Waverley Council’s Nib People’s Choice Prize as part of the 2021 Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award. The Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award is open to authors across Australia and is this country’s only major literary award presented by a local council. The main prize was established in 2002, with the current format People’s Choice Prize (awarded by popular vote) added in 2013. “I was dancing with joy when I won the People’s Choice, I wouldn’t have even swapped it for the big prize,” Mr Olsen told The Beast. “It meant so much to know that people loved the book, 30 The Beast April 2022 Issue 207
because I really wanted to demystify the art world for myself and my family.” Much of the memoir focuses on Olsen’s relationship with his father, the renowned John Olsen, who is considered Australia’s greatest living artist and is well known for his Sydney Opera House mural. Some have pointed to this relationship to dismiss the significance of Olsen’s success in the art world. However, Son of the Brush explores his childhood on the inside track of the art world and the struggles that a famous father brings, as well as the genuine nature of their partnership as gallerist and artist that grew from their father-son relationship. “I’m proud of the fact that I was lucky to have an iconic artist as a father, but he’s one of 40 artists I represent and I could never rely on him alone to be successful,” Mr Olsen explained.
Mr Olsen’s childhood by his artist father’s side and long career in the art world provides a knowledgeable foundation from which he also reflects on the art world in Australia and internationally within his memoir. He hopes that this lifetime of experience in the art world creates a clear window through which his readers can view the industry. “I hope people would say I have an uncomplicated and direct way of talking about art that comes from spending a lot of time in the studio since early childhood,” Mr Olsen told The Beast. Despite a career that spans the globe, Mr Olsen told The Beast that the Eastern Suburbs has always been home. “I had a very romantic childhood, basically living in a fishing village in Watsons Bay in the ‘60s - I loved it,” he said, adding that Sydney is still the place he chooses to call home. “It’s got the best of every city in Australia; the sub-tropical climate, a cultural depth, wonderful restaurants and an eclectic mix of interesting people. I love being able to get up in the morning and swim a few laps at Bondi.” Ultimately, it is not the setting or Mr Olsen’s artistic connections that make Son of the Brush a compelling read, but the genuine way he reflects on his past and family connections. “In writing the book, I was confronted with how I wasted so much of my life creating a shadow that wasn’t there,” Mr Olsen said of his relationship with his father. “At the end of the day, I’m happy in my own skin. Although I’m chuffed that I got the People’s Choice, it’s not that I need everyone’s approval. I think it was the honesty with which I told my story that resonated with people.”
