Press Release
John Thompson (1924)
"Do you like 'em then?"
It has taken until his eighties for Oldham-born artist John Thompson to get the recognition he deserves - but then he only started at the age of 56.
A self-taught artist and former door-to-door salesman, Thompson is now taking the world by storm.
His subject and his inspiration are groups of northern working men folk, clothed capped, joined together in a common bond of unity and kinship. Many admirers of John's work cite the similarity in themes with the great northern artist L.S. Lowry. These groups capture a way of life that has disappeared with the collapse of the textile industry.
John's simple and direct question to potential buyers is "Do you like 'em then?" sums up his honest nature and warm personality - How can we not like 'em.
John has received a huge amount of critical attention over the past few years with collectors clamouring for his work. In 2002, three of his group paintings were chosen to hang in the House of Lords to represent northern culture. A book on John's life and work entitled JOHN THOMPSON - "Do you like 'em then" has been published. The Guardian and The Independent covered a recent sell out exhibition in Manchester and Granada TV and Channel 4 have both run features on John Thompson and his work.
The Catto Gallery will be hosting a solo exhibition of John Thompson.
Dates: 12th-30th September
For more information/DVD please contact: Ben Austin -020 7435 6660 ben@catto.co.uk
|