I fell in love with John Teirney’s work the minute I saw it. Partially because a painting of a familiar Los Angeles haunt of mine caught my eye and partially because it reminded me of a few other artists of whose work I am a fan, such as Stephen Magsig and Steven Albert.
John Tierney’s Paintings of Los Angeles
I was further intrigued when I learned that Teirney isn’t even from the U.S. and used to be a criminology professor at Durham University in England. Not only does John paint the likes of some of Los Angeles’ best known sites and spots, but he also has a large selection of urban paintings of New York and Helsinki. In addition to that work, John has executed many paintings of the desert landscapes of Joshua Tree.
For this particular post, I’m featuring 20 of his paintings of Los Angeles. It was hard to narrow it down to only 20 because I like so many of them. Luckily for my bank account, the paintings I was most interested in have already sold. But if I could, I’d buy several of them.
Mint Collection, LA:
Marmont and Roxbury, LA:
Walking Dead, LA:
Dukes + Whisky-A-Go-Go, LA:
Go Gaga Go:
Handsome Coffee Roasters (with reflection), LA:
Stop, Red Building, LA:
Street Art La Brea, LA:
Sunset and Beverly, LA:
Supreme Wall on Fairfax, LA:
This is Not Graffiti, is it? (LA):
Whiskey A Go Go, LA:
Toast on 3rd, LA:
Don’t Fake It, LA:
76 Gas Station #2, Beverly Hills:
Psychic on La Brea, LA:
Bobby’s Auto Repair LA, Dusk:
Paul Smith, Melrose Avenue, LA (#7):
Magnolia Bakery, W 3rd St, LA:
About the artist:
The artist, John Tierney, is a regular visitor to Los Angeles and is interested in both the urban landscape of the city and the desert landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. The light in LA and the desert have, for him, a particular resonance. In addition, some of his work has focused on images of New York and Helsinki, Finland. The aim is straightforward: to create paintings that provide a strong sense of place, a feeling of what it is like to be there (and hopefully the viewer will enjoy looking at them). For John, being a visitor, an “˜outsider’ from another country, is a key dimension to this project. In terms of important influences, he admires the work of the American artist Edward Hopper and the British artists Peter Blake and David Hockney, especially the latter’s earlier LA-based work. Until recently John Tierney was a criminology professor at Durham University in the north east of England and has published a wide range of articles and books on the subject. Retiring from the university in 2010 meant that more time could be devoted to oil painting. Much of his work takes the urban landscape of Los Angeles, New York, Helsinki, and the desert landscape of Joshua Tree National Park as its subject matter.
His work has attracted a steady following of private collectors and admirers around the world – designer Paul Smith amongst them. “The first time I saw John Tierney’s work I was so impressed by his skill. I love the photorealist feel to his work and am really pleased to be able to show it at my shop, which in fact he has featured in a lot of his paintings!” – Paul Smith
(above bio from Saatchi Art)
If you are interested in his work, he is represented by the Skidmore Gallery and Saatchi Art.
Check out the sites just to see the rest of his work.
Inquires for other pieces can be made through this contact page on his website