Bob Olley
Born 1940 in South Shields
Bob Olley left the mining industry in 1968 after eleven years spent at Whitburn Colliery. While working for a telecoms company, he sold artwork at exhibitions in London.
His painting ‘Westoe Netty’ which shows men using a public urinal, caused an outcry of bad taste at one of these exhibitions in 1972. The publicity that surrounded this boosted his career, allowing him to leave the telecoms industry and follow his dream of becoming a professional artist.
He has gone on to produce a vast amount of oil paintings, drawings, murals and sculptures and continues to do so today.
Artwork
