JOHN JOHNSTONE (born 1941 Scotland)
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this man before; a couple of his works (including the Dylan one) were on display at the gallery I visited yesterday. I rather like his work, mostly because his is an excellent draughtsman.
His observation and drawing of the human form is spot on. I suppose it’s because I enjoy life drawing and portrait painting that I understand how difficult it is to get it right. But John Johnstone manages every time; he is one of Scotland's leading contemporary artists working in the figurative style. The Dylan painting and the Check out painting are both quite old works.
I like them. Someone has already pointed out that the Dylan painting shows Dylan with a bass guitar (which his didn’t play) and with Alan Ginsburg playing the piano, I have no idea why this is but it does make for an interesting painting. I also saw the ‘Checkout’ painting yesterday. The amount of detail in this painting is amazing, you can get lost in it. I wouldn’t particularly want to hang it on my wall, but it is fascinating to stand and look at, there is such meticulous attention to detail. The packets are all painstakingly accurate and the dress and mannerisms of the people are brilliantly well observed.
He is a professional Dundee based artist. John Johnstone was born in Forfar in 1941 and studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee between 1959 and 64 where he was highly commended.
After receiving a major travelling scholarship and using it to visit a number of European cities, he returned to the same college and taught there for many years.
He is a regular exhibitor at the Royal Scottish Academy and the Scottish Society of Artists and is a professional member of the Scottish Society of Artists and Scottish Visual Arts. John Johnstone is a unique artist - in the special sense that he has no problem in being original.
He combines his technical skill at drawing people and capturing their essence with the sort of wild imagination we see in children’s book illustrations or fantasy/ surrealist paintings.
He is one of Scotland's leading contemporary artists working in the figurative style. The Dundee based painter has exhibited widely in Scotland as well as galleries in London and Kingston Jamaica. In other words, he is a professional artist, working within the Scottish Art world and practicing his art with a high degree of technical expertise.
He writes ; "My paintings seem to be expressing something either serious or amusing about life. They depict people acting out minor dramas. Gesture, composition, characterisation and setting are important. There is an element of gravity in them, but the humorous side probably eclipses that aspect." In recent years, he has explored etching. There is much detail in his work which rewards close viewing. John has exhibited widely and has work in numerous public and private collections including those of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh and The McManus Gallery. 
