Camille Olsen-Ormandy
Drawing on a pop aesthetic, Sydney-based Camille Olsen-Ormandy captures the faces of the world harmonised by pastel and bright-hued backgrounds.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson | Photography: Daphne Nguyen
‘A conversation I have regularly revolves around colour — the power and seduction of aligned or misaligned colour combinations and the effects it has on the viewer,’ says Camille Olsen-Ormandy. Photo: Daphne Nguyen.
Portrait of Huitzili by Camille Olsen-Ormandy.
In her early works, Sydney-based artist Camille Olsen-Ormandy’s distinctive characters were first found through Instagram, seeking out a connection that continued into the colour palette. Reflecting on an ideology of aesthetics, the artist connected to her subconscious for her pop-esque artworks.
When crafting her highly stylised paintings, Camille begins with the face and colours of the clothing before deciding the background colour — describing it as ‘the last step, bringing the work into its fullness.’ ‘I always look to the background colour as an enrichment to the composition to compliment the subject,’ says Camille.
‘Colour is very much personified, the idea of union and clashing colours, harmonious or conflicting, we see colour as a tool to communicate the human experience,’ she adds.
The artworks start off loose before pulling out detail from her spontaneous line and form to find the face. The artist muses, ‘a piece of myself is always encapsulated within my portraits, I see my eyes to face shape, my sense of playfulness in fashion, creating a character and story — I think I would want to be friends with all my portraits.’
Even though Camille grew up surrounded by some of Australia’s most influential art figures — her grandfather is famed artist John Olsen, her uncle runs Sydney’s Olsen Gallery, and her parents are the creative masterminds behind Dinosaur Designs — it was only enrolling in art school where she discovered a natural path to painting.
Portrait of Jake by Camille Olsen-Ormandy.
‘For me, it’s a connection I feel to the face, maybe a piece of myself I find in others or an aligned ideology of aesthetics. It always ends up as a subconscious feeling, that I could add something to this image if it was transferred to paint.’ Photo: Daphne Nguyen.
‘I had a lot of interest in acting, film and creative directing,’ says Camille. ‘All creative pursuits, but I always fell back into what I knew best in the arts, which to me felt the most liberating and free, a language I understood.’
With a creative head start to her practice, Camille is inspired by some of the art world’s greats — Van Gogh, Matisse, Calder, Rothko, to Bourgeois, Isamu Noguchi, Elizabeth Payton or Gill Button — citing research as an essential element of her practice and extensive family art trips around the world.
“Art is a life force – from a young age, I was taking family trips around the world, being exposed to the greats in art culture. There was no question art would stay with me forever.”
However, she reveals that on an intimate level, her family influenced her the most. ‘I grew up in the art world watching the excitement in my family’s eyes, that twinkle of childlike wonder, their love and passion to create was so infectious, it was hard not to feel that same energy,’ she shares.
After the last year, Camille has been granted time and isolation to reflect on her practice, working out of Dinosaur Designs’ Redfern head office — this has led to experimentation in ceramics and digital art, and even granted her first solo exhibition (fittingly at Olsen Gallery).
The future looks bright for this young artist as she aims to finish her Fine Arts Degree, pushing her artworks into textiles and ceramics. Plus, an exciting collaboration of tarot card series with fellow artist Charlie Bennell!
Boy with Pink Glasses by Camille Olsen-Ormandy.
Portrait of Cara by Camille Olsen-Ormandy.
