Meet John Tierney | Artist and retired academic

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Tierney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was brought up in the north west of England in a family where money was always tight.The neighbourhood was one where few children stayed on at school beyond the age of 15, that being the minimum leaving age. I was fortunate in being invited to stay on at school for an extra year, which allowed me to gain some qualifications. At that time I had aspirations to go to art school, however, the headmaster quashed that idea, pointing out that I wasn’t good enough. Consequently, I left school at 16 to become an apprentice engineering draughtsman. At 23 I applied and was accepted to study for a degree in sociology at university. Following postgraduate study I entered the world of academia, specialising in sociological criminology. On retirement I began a completely different chapter in my life. Being fairly secure financially I was lucky in not being dependent on the sale of paintings. I did, though, become totally engrossed in painting, regardless of whether they sold or not. Quite early on, however, my work did begin to be exhibited and to sell. I have family in LA and became a regular visitor to the city. As a consequence, I developed an interest in LA’s urban landscape and the juxtaposition of the light and architecture, old and new iconic buildings. At the same time I was interested in, and fascinated by, the history and culture of LA. The British artist David Hockney once said that he was born in Bradford (in England), but raised in Hollywood, a comment on the global cultural power of the movie industry.
In my paintings, and drawing on a sociological sensibility, I am trying to get to the core of LA’s cultural, socially constructed meanings, what it signifies – what the social audience ‘sees’. Thus, for instance, IN-N-OUT burger is not simply a white building, red signage and a source of food. My work is therefore informed by a background in sociology as well as my employment as a draughtsman.
An important development early on involved the British fashion designer Paul Smith his now iconic pink store on Melrose Avenue. I had completed a series of paintings of the store and these came to his attention. As a result (and for which I am especially grateful) I was invited to hold an exhibition in his store, my first in LA. A second exhibition followed shortly afterwards. Paul and I subsequently collaborated on a range of clothing featuring my paintings.
As regards the impact of my roots, I recognise that whatever one achieves involves a mixture of commitment, perseverance, the support and encouragement of others and, of course, luck (I do, though, acknowledge an individual’s family situation and, indeed, the nature of a given society).

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was an Associate Professor in Criminology at Durham University in England until my retirement in 2010, researching and publishing in areas of crime and criminal justice.

While I had a strong interest in art and had painted since my teens, professional commitments prevented a serious engagement with art. retirement provided the opportunity to paint full time. Most of my work takes the urban landscape of LA as its theme.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Formosa bar/restaurant, The Magic Castle, Griffith Observatory, Blackwood coffee bar, pier and beach in Santa Monica, LACMA, MOCA, Horses bar and restaurant, Musso and Frank restaurant.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
– To my 3 sons and their wives: Ben and Samantha, Dominic and Mary Kate and Christian and Vuokko who have been a constant source of support and encouragement. – Dina Brown of Gallery Brown, LA, for her encouragement and knowledge of the art world in LA.
– The British fashion designer Paul Smith, with whom I have collaborated with various projects.

Instagram: @john_tierney_art @gallerybrown

Other: http://www.gallerybrown.com http://www.john-tierney.com

Image Credits
Photographs by Royston Thomas