William Johnstone (artist)
William Johnstone OBE (1897–1981) was a Scottish artist and writer, and Principal of
Life
Johnstone was born in 1897 in
Johnstone travelled to Paris in his youth, which opened him to the ideas of modernism.[1] He also spent time in the US, where he became interested in Native American cave paintings for their deemed naïve simplicity.[2]
During World War II Johnstone became culturally despondent, turning away from practising art to become a teacher, a role which occupied much of his professional life.
He became renowned as a teacher, creating innovative courses and employment in teaching for such important artists as Alan Davie and Eduardo Paolozzi. In 1954 Johnstone's significant contributions to art education saw him awarded an Order of the British Empire.[8] In 1960, Johnstone retired and left the Central School to return home to the Borders to work as a farmer and a painter.[8] This was to be his most prolific period as an artist.[2]
Art
Johnstone's work was directly related to modernism, moving away from direct representation to
Johnstone's work also took on a very personal relationship with the landscape of his native land of the Scottish borders. In this landscape he saw the tension between humanity and nature. Despite his abstract tendencies, Johnstone's work still retained a physical sense of the visual world. This is demonstrated in his most celebrated painting A Point in Time 1929–1937 now owned by the
Johnstone's work is found in several major UK public collections including the
References
- ^ a b MacMillan, Duncan (2012). "The Art of William Johnstone" (PDF). William Johnstone Marchlands: 9–20. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ a b c Jansen, Christina (2012). "Introduction" (PDF). William Johnstone Marchlands. The Scottish Gallery: 3–6. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ Wark, Wesley K. (1981), On the Border: The Art of William Johnstone, in Bold, Christine (Ed.), Cencrastus No. 5, Summer 1981, pp. 17 - 19
- ISBN 978-0-7546-6124-5. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ Hugh MacDiarmid (1967). The company I've kept. University of California Press. p. 99. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7190-5059-6. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-84150-146-8. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ a b c "William Johnstone". The Scottish Gallery. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ Macmillan, Duncan (19 January 2012). "Review: Painters in Parallel: William Johnstone & William Gillies". The Scotsman. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ISBN 9781858941837. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "National Galleries of Scotland − Collection − William Johnstone". National Galleries of Scotland. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "William Johnstone". Tate. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "William Johnstone". Government Art Collection. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
External links
- 56 artworks by or after William Johnstone at the Art UK site