Reclining Nude was painted by John in his last year at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne where he gained a B.A. (Hons) in Fine Art.

 

John suffered his first severe breakdown in 1960 while a prize-winning student at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. He had become catatonic and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where he was diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia. He was heavily medicated and most probably had ECT treatment. He was not permitted to finish his studies at the Slade being considered "anti-social". In spite of many more breakdowns, treatments and hospitalizations, John continued to study, draw and paint even during his final days in hospital where he died from heart disease in 1982 at the age of 45.

 

Drug therapy helped to control his illness although it hindered and slowed down his work at times and dampened his strong charismatic personality. In spite of being prescribed an antidote, his hands often trembled which made drawing and painting difficult. His mother cared for him when he was ill until his marriage to Carol who provided John with a loving home for many years and became his primary model and muse.

 

Throughout his illness John continued to experiment with different techniques, drawing and painting. His use of texture and colour was often symbolic of his state of mind and some of his work could be described as visionary. He also wrote poetry and his final letters to his mother were full of sketches.

 

His knowledge and enthusiasm for art history and the work of contemporary artists including Frank Auerbach, Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud, who became his friends, was inspiring.

 

Deirdre Wilkins 20.2.02

 

The College is grateful to John's sister, Deirdre and her husband Max Wilkins for lending the picture for this display.