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Inspiration from Artist week 53 Featuring Artists Angela Harding and John Byrne.
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Posted
JOHN BYRNE - SCOTTISH ARTIST - BORN 1940
John studied at the Glasgow School of Art, then a travelling scholarship took him to Italy. He worked as a graphic artist for Scottish Television, and also at a carpet factory. In 1968 he became a full time painter. His first one-man show took place at Glasgow's Third-Eye Centre in 1975. He works in a variety of mediums and styles, and is very keen not to get lumped together with any art movement. He has a strong association with the Portal Gallery in London. (I've mentioned this gallery before...they specialise in 'idiosyncratic' art.)
John has been called one of Scotland's 'National Treasures', he's also been called a renaissance man. This latter because of the span of his creative work. He's a playwright. THE SLAB BOYS is a trilogy of plays about working class lads set in a carpet factory...some people think it semi-autobiographical. He also wrote TV dramas including TUTTI FRUITI and YOUR CHEATING HEART. Much of his work is theatre linked...set designs, costumes, murals, posters. He's also a print maker, and music album cover designer.
A more recent pic of John with his paintings...
He does portraiture...
...and many self portraits....
...a mural for the Kings Theatre Dome, Edinburgh....
...the mural...
...a drawing of Emma Thompson in 'TUTTI-FRUITI'...
...a music album cover...
...a SLAB BOYS POSTER....
...something else....
...BILLY...
I think he's a brilliant and fascinating artist. I'll be interested in your take on this artist.
A more recent pic of John with his paintings...
He does portraiture...
...and many self portraits....
...a mural for the Kings Theatre Dome, Edinburgh....
...the mural...
...a drawing of Emma Thompson in 'TUTTI-FRUITI'...
...a music album cover...
...a SLAB BOYS POSTER....
...something else....
...BILLY...
I think he's a brilliant and fascinating artist. I'll be interested in your take on this artist.
Posted
It's good to see a non-conformist at work and what he can achieve. A great contrast with some of the Victorian idylls we have seen of late and variety enriches them all. The portraits of Robbie Coltrane and Billy Connelly are far from classic, though not so far as to be caricatures, I think, and there is no mistaking who they are.
Below...the artist Stephen Cambell...
Album covers....
...and something else...
..boy with banjo...
Tutti Fruiti...
Posted
Not heard of him before, Lewis - his work is definitely different and rather surreal at times (like the self portrait in your introduction.) Apparently he was an admirer of Rene Magritte and wrote to him telling him so, receiving an encouraging reply. His work doesn’t really appeal to me, but it is interesting. Quite like these two colourful screen prints, though - and the album covers posted above.
Edited
by Jenny Harris
Posted
I hadn't found those two prints Jenny. I wondered how his work would be received, knowing full well it wouldn't appeal to everybody. It IS different, and it's that difference that appeals to me.
There's a phrase I don't really like...'middle of the road'. But it's an accurate phrase, and describes some of the work featured in this series. Much of the Victorian style art comes under this heading...for ME, of course...and I can only express my own opinion. I don't expect everybody to agree. I'm not knocking it, there's plenty of 'middle-of-the-road' art that I enjoy...it's safe, I guess. But sometimes I like to travel along the edges of the 'road' and see art where the artist has tried to do something different.
I think Angela Harding's work is different. Work produced by linocuts etc, often produces very creative work. I liked Charles Adam's watercolours in the previous thread...the Victorian artist. I consider that 'safe' art. Nothing wrong with that. So when I use 'middle-of-the-road' in this context, I'm not being derogatory because I enjoy much of it. It's just good to see more 'risky' stuff now and then.
Posted
Well Lew, what an interesting, weird and wonderful artist! My favourite is the Emma Thomson piece and the Gerry Rafferty as I was a fan of his, and they are less extreme. I also like the Slab Boys poster.
It feels like we are on a roller coaster ride with this thread, we race through such different artists from very different times which makes it all fascinating.
Interesting also to learn that he is a playwright which must have given him a closer knowledge of some of his subjects.
Posted
I think it did Tessa, he appears to have been close friends with Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connelly. Especially Gerry Rafferty, he painted his guitar for him...
...here's Gerry with the guitar...
The guitar apparently featured in a recent retrospective exhibition on John Byrne's art.
A few more portraits....
...here's Gerry with the guitar...
The guitar apparently featured in a recent retrospective exhibition on John Byrne's art.
A few more portraits....