Teeming with Life. John Olsen : his complete graphics 1957 – 2023

Melbourne : Badger Editions, 2023. Third edition (the definitive, revised edition). Folio, black laminated boards with Olsen image to front, illustrated endpapers, pp. 320, illustrated in colour, a fine copy. Catalogue raisonne of Olsen’s prodigious graphic output. The third edition, revised, the final and most comprehensive survey of Olsen’s graphic output, covering his entire oeuvre. New copy.

The third, final and definitive edition of the catalogue raisonne of John Olsen’s graphic output, covering his entire oeuvre. The artist proofed the final sheets just prior to his passing in 2023.

Teeming with Life. John Olsen : his complete graphics 1957 – 2023 was first published in an edition of 1500 copies in 2005. The edition quickly sold out, and a second printing (with different dustjacket) was issued the same year. In 2011, a revised edition (the second edition) was published by Macmillan, which included all of the artist’s etchings made since 2005 and any revisions to the text.

With Macmillan discontinuing the art publishing arm of their publishing house, the rights to reprint Teeming with Life were acquired by the author, art historian Ken McGregor, who completed this final definitive edition in consultation with John Olsen. It includes an Appendix to the previous editions, detailing John Olsen prints created post-2011 or omitted from the previous editions of the book. This appendix includes rare artists proofs completed in Paris in the 1950s, a proof portrait of Brett Whiteley, an insightful portrait titled The Art Forger, images of Olsen’s popular series of frogs, and a portrait of Ken McGregor printed in 2022, the artist’s final print.

Teeming with Life. John Olsen : his complete graphics 1957 – 2023 is exclusively available for sale from Douglas Stewart Fine Books.