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This is the first book on John Houston (b. 1930) - one of the most distinguished and prolific of contemporary Scottish painters.
A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, John Houston remained closely associated with the college through his role as a teacher: he lectured at Edinburgh from 1955 to 1989. Though dedicated to teaching, Houston remained committed to his own work throughout his time at Edinburgh and successfully forged a distinct artistic identity simultaneously.
In a fascinating study of the artist's varied career, William Packer charts the development of Houston's life as a painter across five decades. Renowned for its intense use of colour, his work developed an underlying consistency from an early stage. Expressionistic, with romantic overtones and gestural brushstrokes, Houston is a master of encapsulating the atmospheric mood of any setting. This is borne out in the 70 colour images reproduced here for both loyal and new-found followers to admire.
The limited edition of 50 copies, is supplied with an original watercolour.
List of contents
Contents: Preamble; Early Life; Edinburgh College of Art; The Italian scholarship; Elizabeth and marriage; The 1950s into the 1960s; The mid-1960s into the 1970s; Ever After; Selected bibliography; Chronology; Solo exhibitions; Selected group exhibitions; Collections; Photographic credits
About the author
William Packer is art critic for the Financial Times.
Summary
This is the first book on John Houston (b. 1930) - one of the most distinguished and prolific of contemporary Scottish painters.
A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, John Houston remained closely associated with the college through his role as a teacher: he lectured at Edinburgh from 1955 to 1989. Though dedicated to teaching, Houston remained committed to his own work throughout his time at Edinburgh and successfully forged a distinct artistic identity simultaneously.
In a fascinating study of the artist's varied career, William Packer charts the development of Houston's life as a painter across five decades. Renowned for its intense use of colour, his work developed an underlying consistency from an early stage. Expressionistic, with romantic overtones and gestural brushstrokes, Houston is a master of encapsulating the atmospheric mood of any setting. This is borne out in the 70 colour images reproduced here for both loyal and new-found followers to admire.
The limited edition of 50 copies, is supplied with an original watercolour.
Additional text
'It is a handsome book, profusely illustrated and with good colour reproductions... Packer has produced an interesting and informative book for both the general reader and the serious student of Scottish art.' Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History
