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"Paisley 'Buddies' are, to a man and a woman, total oddballs.
I should know, I’m one of them,” said John once.
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John’s formal life as an artist began aged 18 when he entered Glasgow School of Art. His mother said he started drawing in his pram. A year before entering the art school, he started at A F Stoddart & Co in Paisley - a “Technicolour hell hole” - as a “slab boy”. Much of what was to come, visually and literally, drew on what John observed there. In 1963 Byrne received a travelling scholarship to Italy after being awarded the Newbery Medal at GSA. He saw the great quattrocento painters: Giotto, Cimabue and Duccio. The light, the exquisite detail and stillness of the Italian primitives is all there in his work of the late 60s and early 70s.
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On seeing John’s show at the Third Eye Centre in 1975, Arthur Watson PRSA, wrote: “The paintings counteracted the abstract orthodoxies of 1975 while also shedding his persona of Patrick. The facial acrobatics of the self-portraits, the monumental cigarette ends sculpted in paint, the double portrait of Billy Connolly and his banjo of the riotous ‘Kingarockinroll’; each work could have been expanded by a lesser artist into a stylistically coherent body of work, but here a stream of ideas exploded round the gallery walls, realised in a tour de force of painterly virtuosity.”
In the decades that followed an extensive iconography unfolded amounting, in some cases, to a kind of pictorial autobiography. Paintings of 1950s Ferguslie Park - Feegie - captured what was once an invention, the “teenager”, as this strange new being emerged in the artist’s own youth. In his Underwood Lane series, the Teddy Boys who loiter are reminiscences of his own past. These pictures often referenced filmic and theatrical worlds, their backdrops lit like stage-sets. Nocturnal themes abounded: moonlit woods; the streets of 1950s Paisley; the self-examining artist, alone and wreathed in cigarette smoke. In a finely balanced act, he pulled together the macabre and humour.
But back to oddballs: running through all of John’s work is the outsider, either as a lone figure or a fragment of society. The vision may be fantastical and magical but it’s what John knows.
emily walsh
The Fine Art Society
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Benoit is a boy living with his father in a small seaside village where nothing much goes on. Ships come in. Ships go out.But one day, Benoit’s father, Jean-Kiki, barters with a salty sea captain to get a friend for his lonely son, a kitten he names Donald. And that’s the end of Benoit’s quiet days.These unpublished text pages for the childrens' book Donald and Benoit were part of John's original vision for the project.They were not included in the final published version, with the publisher opting to use standardised printed text to help children read along.
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John Byrne RSACome Donald, he yelled. Let's go to the movies!, 2008text page from 'Donald and Benoît'pencil, ink, oil and watercolour14 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches
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John Byrne RSAOn the way home, Donald very kindly re-ran the whole of 'Singing In The Rain', 2008text page from 'Donald and Benoît'pencil, ink, oil and watercolour14 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches
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John Byrne RSAAnother terrible silence. , 2008text page from 'Donald and Benoît'pencil, ink, oil and watercolour14 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches
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John Byrne RSAAs Benoît racked his brains, 2008text page from 'Donald and Benoît'pencil, ink, oil and watercolour14 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches
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John Byrne RSAUpstairs in his attic bedroom, Donald opened his new library book, 2008text page from 'Donald and Benoît'pencil, ink, oil and watercolour14 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches
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John Byrne RSAWithin seconds of their arrival, 2008text page from 'Donald and Benoît'pencil, ink, oil and watercolour14 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches
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John Byrne RSALittle did Benoit realise, 2008text page from 'Donald and Benoît'pencil, ink, oil and watercolour14 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches
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John Byrne RSAAs if by strange magic, the little boat, 2008text page from 'Donald and Benoît'pencil, ink, oil and watercolour14 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches
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John Byrne RSASuch was the crowd's delight at having a CAT heading up the Dancing Devildogs of Fisher-town, 2008text page from 'Donald and Benoît'pencil, ink, oil and watercolour14 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches
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John Byrne RSASelf Portrait with spiky hairpencil on paper8 ¾ x 5 ¾ inches
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John Byrne RSASelf Portrait with skeleton, 2016-20?signed and inscribed '2016-20?'pencil on paper6 ½ x 4 ¾ inches
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John Byrne RSASelf Portraitpen and ink8 ¼ x 6 inches
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John Byrne RSASelf-Portrait with moustache, 2016-2020pencil on paper6 ½ x 4 ¾ inches
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John worked with Glasgow Print Studio throughout his career, creating etchings, screenprints and mezzotints in his signature style.
Prints produced over 30 years are now available through The Fine Art Society.
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John Byrne RSABeach Boy with Cat and Fish, 1998signed, titled and numbered 18/30 in pencil to marginhand coloured etchingedition of 3010 ¾ x 8 inches
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John Byrne RSAMe & Him, 2012signed, titled and inscribed AP in pencil to marginhand-coloured etching with ink and watercolourAP from the edition of 2010 x 13 ½ inches
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John Byrne RSASelf Portrait in Jamaica Streetsigned and numbered 1/1 in pencil to marginhand-coloured monoprint30 x 22 inches
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John Byrne RSAJust Another Daysigned, titled and inscribed 'A/P' in pencil to marginscreenprint10 ½ x 15 inches
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John Byrne RSABoo!signed, titled and and inscribed 'AP' in pencil to marginhand-coloured etching12 ¼ x 8 ½ inches
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John Byrne RSABlowin' Wildsigned, titled and editioned 'PP' in pencil to marginscreenprintedition of 1013 x 12 inches
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John Byrne RSAMoonlight Rendezvoussigned, titled and inscribed 'A/P' in pencil to marginhand coloured lithographedition of 1020 x 12 ¾ inches
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John Byrne RSAWee Me, 2020signed, titled and numbered 6/10 in pencil to marginhand-coloured screenprintedition of 1011 ¾ x 6 ¾ inches
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John Byrne RSANight Owl, 2020signed, titled and numbered 9/10 in pencil to marginhand-coloured screenprint9/1013 x 10 inches
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John Byrne RSASmokey Joe, 2021signed and titled in pencil to marginhand coloured screenprint6 ¾ x 6 ¾ inches
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DAVID EUSTACE
DEAR JOHN: A THIRTY YEAR PORTRAIT
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Dear John: A Thirty Year Portrait - a portfolio of twelve portraits of John Byrne taken over a thirty year period by photographer David Eustace, printed on handmade Japanese paper in a clamshell archival box, limited to an edition of 50.These 12 images of you John are my hand picked selection from a compendium of such treasured moments, which I'm blessed to have shared with you and I am hopeful others may take some enjoyment from their existence also.a handcrafted box set containing 12 portraits of the artist John Byrne, created over a 30 year period;
signed and numbered in pencil to frontispiece; each sheet embossed with artist's namefolio of twelve photographs on Japanese bamboo stock, plus four letterpress sheets, in debossed archival clamshell caseeach sheet 20 x 16 inchesedition of 50 -
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1940
Born in Paisley, second son of Patrick Byrne and Alice, nee McShane
1957
Leaves school without taking Highers, gets job as ‘slab boy’ in local carpet factory A.F. Stoddart & Co
1958
Fails first year exams at Glasgow School of Art and has to resit
1961
Transfers to Edinburgh School of Art for one year
1962
Returns to Glasgow School of Art
1963
Graduates with Diploma in Drawing and Painting, wins Newbery Medal, Hutchison Prize for Drawing, awarded Bellahouston Scholarship to travel to Perugia
1964
Marries Alice Simpson and son John Francis is born. Lives in Renfrew and becomes graphic designer for Scottish TV
1965
Daughter Celie born
Exhibition at 208 Gallery, Glasgow
Exhibition at Crestine Gallery, Edinburgh
1966
Leaves Scottish TV, joins A.F. Stoddart as a carpet designer
1967
Correspondence with Magritte, adopts Patrick
First exhibition at Portal Gallery, London: Patrick Byrne: Portal’s Paisley Primitive Painter (December)
1968
Leaves A.F. Stoddart & Co, becomes a full-time painter
Exhibition Patrick at Portal, Portal Gallery, London (Nov-Dec)
1969
Exhibition Patrick at Portal, Portal Gallery, London (December)
1971
Travels with family to Los Angeles to work on animated film with Donovan Leitch, An Old Fashioned Picture Book
Exhibition at Rex Irwin Gallery, Sydney
Exhibition Nine Large Patrick Paintings, Portal Gallery, London (December)
1972
Designs set for The Great Northern Welly Boot Show, King’s Theatre, Glasgow
Exhibition Patrick at Portal: an exhibition of New Smaller Paintings, Portal Gallery, London (October)
1973
Designs set for The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil for 7:84 Scotland
Exhibition at Aitken Dott Gallery, Edinburgh
1974
Paints gable-end mural Boy on Dogback, Crawford Street, Glasgow
1975
Exhibition at Clunes Gallery, Sydney
Exhibition John Byrne: Paintings and Drawings, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow; Paisley Museum and Art Galleries; Aberdeen Gallery
Withdraws from exhibiting publicly until 1991
1976
Radio version of Writer’s Cramp, BBC Scotland
1977
Stage version of Writer’s Cramp, Edinburgh Fringe, transferring to Bush Theatre, London and Mickery Theatre, Holland
1978
The Slab Boys, The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, transferring to Royal Court, London, winning Evening Standard award for most promising playwright
1979
Normal Service, Hampstead Theatre Club, London
The Loveliest Night of the Year (later called Cuttin’ a Rug), The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Becomes Writer-in-Residence, Borderline Theatre Co. Writes, directs and designs Dick Whittington for Borderline; writes Cara Coco for Radio Scotland
1980
Hooray for Hollywood, Louisville, Kentucky
Becomes Writer-in-Residence, Duncan of Jordanstone School of Art, Dundee
1982
Still Life, The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
1983
The Slab Boys, The Playhouse Theatre, New York
1984
Writes episode of Crown Court
Becomes Associate Director and designer at Leicester Haymarket Theatre
1985
Adaptation of The London Cuckolds opens at Leicester Haymarket Theatre
Designs Peter Arnott’s White Rose at The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Writes Tutti Frutti
1987
Tutti Frutti transmitted
1988
BBC2 transmits Byrne about Byrne, written and directed by Byrne for BBC Arena
1990
Your Cheatin Heart is transmitted on BBC1 with Tilda Swinton as Cissie Crouch
1991
Returns to exhibiting and begins an intense period of work at Glasgow Print Studio
Exhibition Your Cheatin’ Heart, William Hardie Gallery, Glasgow
Exhibition Patrick, Portal Gallery, London (June)
Exhibition Hankies, William Hardie Gallery, Glasgow
1992
Moves to London
Colquhoun and MacBryde, Royal Court, London
1993
BBC2 transmits Boswell and Johnson’s Tour of the Western Isles, written and directed by Byrne
1994
Exhibition La Terre Sauvage, Glasgow Print Studio
1995
Exhibition New Works, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
Exhibition “The Pensive Angel” and other paintings by John Byrne, Portal Gallery, London
1996
Directs film version of The Slab Boys in a Glasgow warehouse
1997
Slab Boys, premiers at Edinburgh Film Festival
Byrne and Tilda Swinton have twins, Xavier and Honor
Adaptation of The Government Inspector, Almeida, London
Exhibition at House for an Art Lover, Glasgow
Exhibition The Slab Boys, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
Exhibition John Byrne / “Patrick”, Portal Gallery, London (October-November)
1998
Settles in Tain
Exhibition The Slab Boys Movie Exhibition, Duncan R Miller Fine Arts, Glasgow
1999
Exhibition New Editions, Glasgow Print Studio
Exhibition Flotsam and Jetsam, Art.TM Gallery, Inverness
Group exhibition John Byrne and James McNaught – Two Scottish Painters at Portal Gallery, Portal Gallery, London
2000
Post Office issues Byrne designed 20-pence millennium stamp
Exhibition Byrne@60: The Unsolved Artist, Paisley Museum and Galleries
2001
Awarded an MBE for services to literature and theatre (Byrne later returned it in protest against the war against Iraq)
Two self-portraits included in the exhibition Four Hundred Years of Scottish Portraits 1600-2000 at Bourne Fine Art, Edinburgh
2002
Exhibition Recent works, Glasgow Print Studio
2003
Writes musical Underwood Lane
Exhibition Six Portraits of Scots Politicians, The National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
2004
An adaption of Chekhov’s Uncle Varick opens at The Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh
Exhibition New Work, The Fine Art Society, London
Exhibition A Life in Small Pictures, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
2005
Exhibition Dead and Alive, The Fine Art Society, London
2006
A stage version of Tutti Frutti for the National Theatre of Scotland opens at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
Exhibition Small Works - Portraits and Still Life, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
Exhibition Me and Them - Self Portraits and Character Studies, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen
2007
Becomes a full member at the Royal Scottish Academy
2008
Nova Scotia, The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Exhibition John Byrne, Moray Art Centre
Exhibition Prints & Works on Paper, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
2009
Exhibition Cornerboys and Angels, Glasgow Print Studio
Exhibition John Byrne: prints, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
2010
New version of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh
2011
Exhibition Moonlight and Music, The Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
Exhibition Boogie-Woogie, The Rendezvous Gallery, Aberdeen
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from The University of Dundee
Donald & Benoit written and illustrated by John Byrne (published by Rizzoli)
2012
Exhibition The Joyful Mysteries, The Fine Art Society, London
2013
A new mural is completed in the dome at The King’s Theatre, Edinburgh
Exhibition Bad Smoky Joe & The Dark Wildwoods, The Rendezvous Gallery, Aberdeen
2014
Exhibition Dead End, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
Exhibition Sitting Ducks, Scottish National Portrait Gallery
A new adaption of Uncle Varick opens at The Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh
Marries Janine Davies
A new adaptation of Three Sisters opens at Tron Theatre, Glasgow
2015
Exhibition A Matter of Life and Death, The Fine Art Society, London
Exhibition Zoo at the End of My Brush, Brown Gallery, Tain
New production of The Slab Boys opens at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow and King’s Theatre, Edinburgh
2016
Exhibition Moonshine, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
2017
Exhibition Don’t Fence Me In, The Rendezvous Gallery, Aberdeen
Exhibition Lullaby of Broadway, The Fine Art Society, London
Exhibition Rock ‘N’ Roll, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
Paints portrait of Billy Connolly for BBC1 documentary Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime; the portrait becomes a mural in Glasgow
2018
Exhibition The Boy and the Jabberwock: an exhibition of early works, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
Exhibition John Byrne: Rogues’ Gallery, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
The designs set for The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil for 7:84 (1973) goes on display at the V&A Dundee, loaned by The National Library of Scotland
Exhibition Alasdair Gray and John Byrne: Two Great Glasgow Polymaths, The Royal Glasgow Institute of The Fine Arts, Glasgow
2019
BBC Scotland re-broadcasts the six original episodes of Tutti Frutti
Exhibition John Byrne: Then Till Now, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
2020
Exhibition John Byrne: Welcome to My World, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
2021
Tennis Elbow audio drama (sequel to Writer’s Cramp) broadcast on Sound Stage, Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Donald and Benoit adapted for the theatre as an audio drama by John’s wife Jeanine Byrne and broadcast on Sound Stage, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
2022
Exhibition Ceci n'est pas une Rétrospective, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
Exhibition John Byrne: A Big Adventure. Artist, Writer and Theatre Maker, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow
World premiere of Underwood Lane musical play, directed by Andy Arnold, opens at Johnstone Town Hall, transferring to Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Granted the Freedom of Renfrewshire
2023
Exhibition John Byrne: Blowin’ Wild, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
Dies 30 November, aged 83
2024
Exhibition John Byrne: In the Studio, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh
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