John Blackburn: Without reference

John Blackburn is a contemporary artist from the original mid-twentieth-century British painters. Once expected to be amongst the top artists of the 1960s, a family crisis caused him to put aside a career as an artist. He continued to paint in his solitary studio, only to be rediscovered in 2005. His repertoire of paintings expand over the last four decades but are only now being fully appreciated. With recent exhibitions in London and a growing list of collectors, Blackburn has caught the attention of modernist connoisseurs who have the rare experience of viewing his works without the tradition of influence or criticism.