From top: Morris Minor in Castletownbere,CoCork, depicted in Winter Callout; Whelan’s Seaside GiftShop, South Main Street, Wexford; Connolly’s in Skibbereen reveals John’s realisttalent
MOTORING ART
JOHN DOHERTY This Irish artist’sworks capture the essence of everyday life in his nativeland withaprosaic realism
Road trips have inspired some remarkable art, be it painting, prose,music or photography,and since childhood John Doherty has been captivated by journeys across Ireland. From colourful shopfronts to deserted petrol stations,these remote locations have inspiredaseries of paintings that recordthe changing character of the Emerald Isle.
“During my childhood in the 1950s andʼ60s,our familywould often travelaroundIreland,”says John. “Therewerenomotorways then, andjourneys were long. En route to Wicklow or Kilkenny to visit relatives, or holiday trips to West Cork,Iwas always enchanted by the little towns andthe petrol stations we stopped at along the wa y. Clifden in County Galwaywas alwaysafavourite destination.”
Johnʼs fatherwas an engineer whoservedwithField Marshal Montgomeryinthe EighthArmy in NorthAfrica, andhewas always fascinated by vehicles.“My first memories of those familytrips started with sitting in thebackof ourCommer van,”Johncontinues. “Later cameaRover,various Fords andthenaCitroën DS that had suchacomfortable ride.Asaboy, Iloved drawingbirds andvehicles. The shapes of Germanracing cars reallyinterested me .”
The young boyʼsparents were impressed by his drawing talent, buttheywereterrified when John started talking about becoming an artist. “Dad pushed me into architecture,”herecalls.“After qualifying,Imoved across to Australia to work butsoon realised painting wasinmyblood andgave up design.Workinga fewnights gave me enough funds to focus on artfor the rest of the week.Iʼve always beenarealist: forme, the intensity of style anddetail draws youintoa subject. My artistic heroes were Giorgios Morandi anddeChirico.”Working with acrylic paints on board,Johnʼs remarkable style comes via an intense process,withsome paintings,suchas Whelan’s Seaside GiftShop,taking up to 18 months to complete: “I work forthree hourseachday overaperiod of six weeks.Some canvases canbecome very claustrophobic soIturnthem against the wall fortherap y. When Iturn them backIsee mistakes, so it ʼsacontinuing process .”
Journeys around Australia and south-east Asia influencedJohnʼs early work,but it wasareturn to Ireland in the 1970s,toshow his newwifearound, that stirred ideas of documenting his homecountry. Initiallymarine subjectswerethe focus,withadramatic series of lighthouse paintings,but while driving to locations he became intriguedbyold petrol pumps. “Wefound someabsolute beauties with colourful globes ,” he says.“ To me theylookedlikeiconic totems. In villagesasingle pump wasset alone on the pavement, butin biggertowns differentsizes were grouped together.Little details such as cigarette buttsaround the pump amused me,but today these local stationsare vanishing.”
Johnʼs mostrecentcollection, entitled Time flies and life is short, focuses on colourful shopfronts andlocal bars discovered during road trips.“Idonʼt liketotinker with the location ,” he notes.“It has to be as yousee it. Irishpubsare famous forputting the weirdest things in the window.” MW Formore, see taylorgalleries.ie
February2024 Classic&Sports Car 31
