Robert Olley
Encyclopedia
, South Shields
South Shields
South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
, Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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Olley, a former miner who worked in the mines for 11 year from 1957 to 1968 is known as the "Geordie
Geordie
Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants...
Lowry".
He is best known for his painting "Westoe Netty
Netty
Netty may refer to:* Netty Kim , Canadian figure skater* Netty Witziers-Timmer , Dutch athlete* North East England dialect for toilet or public convenience* JBoss Netty a Java project for asynchronous I/OSee also...
" which was deemed "netty art" in 1972
and reached world acclaim in 1974.
In 1996 Olley and his friends salvaged the Westoe Netty
Westoe Netty
The Westoe Netty is a painting by Robert Olley. It depicts a historical scene inside a public toilet . Painted in 1972, it has become a cultural symbol of North East England working class history....
when the privy, the inspiration for his painting, built in 1890
was deemed outdated to the modern requirements of South Shields.
In 1996, on the recently redundant land (ironically redundant due to the closure of the last coal mine), the outdated Westoe Netty
Westoe Netty
The Westoe Netty is a painting by Robert Olley. It depicts a historical scene inside a public toilet . Painted in 1972, it has become a cultural symbol of North East England working class history....
, which stood on Chichester Road was taken down, after the rates were increased. The former miner and artist of the famous picture, with his friends raised a campaign to save it. They loaned out 200 bricks, until it could find a home. The urinals were then stored in a Hebburn
Hebburn
Hebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
shipyard until 2007.
The Netty is now on display at the Beamish Open Air Museum, near the 1913 Railway Station; it has been there since 2007,
where it was restored and was officially opened by Olley himself in 2008,
though it can no longer be used for its original purpose.
Works
As well as the world renowned Westoe Netty Painting Olley, has produced many other works based on Geordie life which mainly have a humor theme. His titles include:- Recycled Bikes
- Night Life
- The Mecca Bingo Hall and Windows
- Off the Way
- Famous Faces, a mural, created 1996, depicting famous personalities from the north east region of England, which can be found at Monument Metro Station. Celebrities included like Mike NevilleMike Neville (Newsreader)Mike Neville, MBE is a retired British television presenter who worked mainly on regional news programmes in North East England. Over 40 years with the BBC and ITV franchisee Tyne Tees Television, he became an iconic figure in the region and is remembered for his solid presentational style and...
and Brendan FosterBrendan FosterBrendan Foster CBE is a British former distance runner, entrepreneur and the founder of the Great North Run. He won the Bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics...
, the founder of the Great North RunGreat North RunThe Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon, taking place annually each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in England. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.The first Great...
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