My friend John Wright, who has died aged 88, was an artist and lecturer, full of passion and curiosity.
In the 1960s and 70s, John showed his work at the John Moores exhibition, the Royal Academy summer exhibition, and galleries in London, Liverpool and Bradford. In the 20-year period following his retirement, he was able to devote himself more fully to painting, producing a significant body of work that testifies to the depth of his talent.
During this time he exhibited in several group shows, had two very successful one-man shows at the Millinery Works in Islington, north London, and worked with the poet Robert Vas Dias on collaborations combining words and images that were published as The Guts of Shadows (2003) and The Lascaux Variations (2009).
John’s work was characterised by meticulous research, skilled draughtsmanship, variation of style and technique, and a subtle, sophisticated use of colour. To see the images he produced is to share his concerns and passions – aeronautics, the flamboyance of Spain, the relationship between man and machine and the brutality of armed authority.
He was born in Islington, the son of Dorothy (nee Dewar) and Frederick Wright. On leaving the Stationers’ Company’s school, Hornsey, John followed in the footsteps of his father by joining the engineering department of the GPO. During his national service with the RAF he developed a lasting interest in aeronautics.
John had no formal art training until his late 20s, when he attended classes at Hornsey College of Art. He began sketching scenes around the East End, producing powerful images of urban and industrial landscapes.
In the 60s, he became a lecturer at North London College, where he remained until 1986, retiring as senior lecturer. As a teacher he had the gift of encouraging others to believe in themselves and to expand their lives.
John and his first wife, Margaret, whom he married in 1956, had two sons, Timothy and Jonathan. They separated in the 70s and divorced in 1993.
In 1975 John met Ceri Nicholas at North London College. They were soulmates and lived very happily together in London. They married in New York in 1997. Despite the dementia that shadowed John’s last years, the warmth and strength of his personality were never totally dimmed.
John is survived by Ceri, his sons and six grandchildren.
