John Horwill, A.R.C.A, N.D.D, who sadly passed away on the 10th August 1997, was an exhibiting artist and teacher for most of his adult working life, a time period of over forty years.
As a student John was trained at the Royal College of Art in 1953 – 1956, sharing studio space with such artists as Peter Blake, Frank Auerbach and John Bratby.
His major influences came from the London art scene and the tutors who had a lasting influence on him. Such names as Rodrigo Moynihan, an abstract painter in the 1930s, John Minton, a prominent painter and Carel Weight, an established painter.
About his early college influences John observed:
“In that period, all that mattered was your creative talent. No one was concerned about what contribution you would make on the economy”.“It was an exciting time to work and we were really laying the foundation for the pop art explosion that came in the 60’s”. “The fashion then was for social realism – kitchen sink and all that – but we would spend our time talking about colour, shape and form of a painting rather than about subject matter”.
“No one was going around saying “we want to change the world” but it was happening all the same as an evolutionary process”.
John’s Royal College of Art education gave him the passion to pass on invaluable lessons to generations of new, up and coming artists. He was well known and could often be found at student art exhibitions, supporting them whenever he was able.
John Smout wrote in April 1999:
John was exasperated by the machinations of the art establishment, his letters on the subject were legendary, as were his political discourses, being in the middle of a letter to the Prime Minister on the day he died.
Always a questioning and relentless soul, he found peace in his home. John was a painters painter and the greatest tragedy is that he has not had the public recognition he truly deserved in his lifetime. He was a complete professional.
We miss him greatly.
