University News Last updated 30 September 2022
The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire attended the opening of 90-year-old artist John Skinner’s final exhibition as he displayed work from across his career spanning more than seven decades.
Open to visitors at the Foxlowe Art Centre in Leek, Staffordshire until the 29 October, the exhibition will be Skinner’s last - and one of over fifty events the artist has showcased his work at in the last twenty years alone.
Birmingham City University (BCU) alumnus Skinner completed two art courses at the Birmingham College of Art during the 1940s and 1950s, which later became BCU’s School of Art. He went on to teach at the University, starting in 1955.
“I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to do what I love, and to still be doing that at 90 years old, is really quite remarkable,” he said.
The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire attended the exhibition opening, a special moment for Skinner and not the first time the Duke and Duchess had shown interest in his artwork.
Skinner’s passion for art was ignited growing up just a stone’s throw from The Barber Institute of Fine Art along with regular visits to the Birmingham Museum Art Gallery, ultimately inspiring him to enrol at the then Birmingham College of Art.
“During my first year of studying, we were based in an old elementary school, just outside of the city centre, then in my second year, we moved up to intermediate level, so my classes took place in the School of Art on Margaret Street.
“At the time, there were many ex-service people studying there, who had obviously seen all sorts in the war, so they were not there to mess around. They wanted to do well, and they set a real standard for all of us. Back then, there was no nonsense and we had to work hard to keep up with them.
“At the end of my second year, I had to choose which area of art I specifically wanted to focus on. I chose Painting, which was by far the top choice at the time. Bernard Fleetwood-Walker, who was also from Birmingham and graduated from the School of Art himself, was the top tutor and I learned a huge amount from him. I completed two years in the painting school, before doing an ATD (Art Teacher Diploma) in my final year,” reflected the BCU alumnus.
Now living in Stone, Staffordshire, Skinner’s vast collection of career work includes figure paintings, portraits, life painting, studies, landscape pieces, etchings, and drawings.
The veteran of art ceramics and stoneware took a brief break from his art career in 1953 to complete compulsory National Service before returning to the School of Art in 1957 to complete his degree.
During his stint in the military, Skinner used the steady hand and trained eye of an artist to help him win a Regimental Shooting Championship.
Alongside a successful career in Higher Education before his retirement from teaching in 2006, the 90-year-old also worked tirelessly on his own work over the last six decades, exhibiting porcelain, paintings, and stoneware pieces across the UK.
Recognising there is a new generation of aspiring artists following in his footsteps, Skinner, a true legend of both the West Midlands and Staffordshire art scenes, shared some words of wisdom with current BCU School of Art students:
“The most important thing is your drawing; it all starts from there. It sounds very simple, but you must focus on the quality of your drawing, if you draw well, there’s a good chance you’ll be good at painting and many other aspects of art too.”
See more information about John’s exhibition
See more information on John’s life and work