Andrew Johnstone
Born in 1933, Andrew Johnstone painted from a series of ‘half a dozen or so’ themes, usually from the ancient world. His techniques and idioms often stem from the modern artists he admired, such as Roger Hilton, Ben Nicholson and William Scott. In the last decade of his life, he regularly exhibited his paintings, and occasionally his sculptures, at the Islington Art Fair and the 20/21 British Art Fair, as well as having a series of one-man shows in London, and at Cadogan Contemporary. In 1989 he was the subject of a documentary on ITV.
“My own work is domestic and small scale. It is for looking at and enjoying in a home environment… just to be there and to feed the spirit and imagination. Balm for the soul, if you like. If a painting of mine does that and, most importantly, goes on doing that, then I am happy: it is a good painting as far as I am concerned. I am not setting out to build a career – it is a bit late for that anyway – but to let my imagination wander over what I have seen, years ago or yesterday, and to let my mind and hands synthesise that into a painting or, more rarely these days, a sculpture. This will probably not resemble at all what I have been looking at; it will be some new creation that comes from my imagination… But I also go off at perhaps ridiculous tangents when something catches my eye or amuses me. Why not?
For me, painting, or at least making, is not an interest or a pastime: it is a compulsion.”
- Andrew Johnstone
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3 squares yellow (337)mixed media on board81.5cm x 56cm (32.1" x 22")
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382 (Last of the sloe Gin from last Year)oil on board81.5cm x 73.5cm (32.1" x 28.9")
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451 Strange landscape (multimedia)oil on board32.5cm x 70.5cm (12.8" x 27.8")
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A Grand Procession of soldiers (1026)Mixed media on board38cm x 81cm (15" x 32")
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Ascention (878)Mixed media on board76cm x 91.5cm (30" x 36")
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Bull Leaper (897)oil on board65cm x 79cm (25.6" x 31.1")
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C32 Bottle and glass.oil on board57cm x 81.5cm (22.4" x 32.1")
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Cornish Harbour VI (661)mixed media on board81.5cm x 91.5cm (32.1" x 36")
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Cornish trawlers (153)mixed media on board39cm x 57cm (15.4" x 22.4")
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Cornwall Imixed media on board34cm x 34cm (13.4" x 13.4")
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Cornwall IImixed media on board34cm x 34cm (13.4" x 13.4")
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Elysian Beach (836)Mixed media on board74cm x 81cm (29" x 32")
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Hector (802)Mixed media on board81cm x 112cm (32" x 44")
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Iliad Ships (728)mixed media on board81.5cm x 91.5cm (32.1" x 36")
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Road to Jerusalem (986)Mixed media74cm x 81cm (29" x 32")
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Unnumbered 26 Standing Stonesoil on board69.5cm x 46cm (27.4" x 18.1")
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Unnumbered 29 Valley of Tombsoil on board[height?]" x [width?]" ([height?]" x [width?]")
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Untitled (14)mixed media on board81.5cm x 73.5cm (32.1" x 28.9")
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Untitled (6)mixed media on board73.5cm x 81.5cm (28.9" x 32.1")
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Untitled (Greek)mixed media on board23cm x 20.5cm (9.1" x 8.1")
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Untitled (War 438)mixed media on board31.5cm x 63cm (12.4" x 24.8")
Andrew Johnstone was born in 1933 and educated at Marlborough College where he first found his lifelong passion for painting. In 1949 and 1950, he embarked on a motorbike journey through Europe leading him to studies at Strasbourg University and the Sorbonne.