The Great Atlantic Galleries

paintings by
John Thompson

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Group Series 2813
22 x 30” mixed media £SOLD

New, additional work by John Thompson CLICK HERE

John Thompson - the story so far, by Bill Clark:

Born in Oldham and essentially self-taught, John Thompson paints groups of figures, cloth capped and anonymous, that loom, loiter, parade and parley in that obscure way that baffles children.

He is now compared to other, better known northern artists such as Theodore Major, Harold Riley and the man himself, L. S. Lowry. This recognition has taken time to develop, for John is now past eighty and although he now devotes all his time to painting, this has not always been the case.

John was born into a typical, almost clichéd, working class environment. Everyone knew everyone else and everyone was poor. His parents met after the First World War. Settling in Oldham, his father became a builder, working locally for the railways; a comparatively safe and steady job in the poverty and unemployment stricken thirties. John was the only surviving male child and as such he was expected to leave school and get a job as soon as he was able. And so he did, and the next forty plus years were spent in varying kinds of employment, where his talent for painting played only a minor but nevertheless reoccurring role.

However, the inclination to be creative was always there, and through the years and many jobs, John was to be found painting or drawing, from tourist advertising posters for the local railway to canvases for room settings in furniture shops. Formal training was represented by five years of evening classes in life drawing.

John did not spend long in any of his jobs: a quick glance at the CV gives a picture of the vagaries of the furniture trade, the economy and the man’s own restlessness. His fans are eternally grateful that yet another redundancy, this time at the age of fifty-six, was just one too many and John decided to become a full time artist. This new career did not start well: a nine month stay at the Corn Exchange in Central Manchester famously made only enough money to heat the room! Nevertheless, John kept going, a move to the Alexandra Centre in Uppermill was to mark the beginning of success and a build up of a faithful following. For the next few years this happy band of collectors felt they were in on a secret that the world had yet to discover.

John’s output is highly eclectic, deriving ideas from many different subjects. But his central theme is that of groups; groups of working men who seem to be, well, waiting. Waiting for a job? Waiting for a handout? Or perhaps just waiting for a change in fortunes for the northern working man. The power in John’s work lies in allowing the observer to add to the experience themselves: to find their own meaning in the images he creates. Although the poverty implicit in these Group Series images has contributed to the ‘northern painter’ label, they speak for all working men, at all times.

John has achieved great success and critical acclaim over the last few years, his work is widely collected both at home and abroad. He has had successful one man shows in Manchester and in 2002 three of his paintings were purchased by the House of Lords in London and are now hanging in the Committee Rooms.

A book on Johns’ life and work entitled JOHN THOMPSON - “Do you like ‘em then?” was launched at a major retrospective exhibition in Manchester in March 2006. 350 people attended and nearly 200 paintings were sold. The event attracted massive local and national publicity, The Guardian and The Independent covered the exhibition and both Granada TV and Channel 4 ran features on John Thompson and his work. Since then, his fame has spread far and wide and nearly 500 of his paintings have been snapped up.

Bill Clark, Director, Clark Art Ltd

Hayley Jay with John & Shirley Thompson

John Thompson autographing a copy of his book

Falmouth's Lord Mayor with John & Shirley Thompson

Please call 01326 318452 (gallery hours) or 01736 786016 (evenings and weekends) or e-mail: gallery@greatatlantic.co.uk to reserve the work of your choice.

Paintings may be collected by arrangement or we can deliver from as little as £20 depending on size and distance. Money back if not entirely satisfied (provided we are informed within 3 days of your painting being collected/delivered). Cheques and all major credit cards accepted. Colours may vary between the original paintings and the reproductions shown here.