![John Patrick Byrne (1940–2023), Artist, Dramatist and Stage Designer, Self Portrait in a Flowered Jacket](https://d3d00swyhr67nd.cloudfront.net/w800h800/collection/NGS/NGS/NGS_NGS_PG_3068-001.jpg)
John Byrne (1940–2023)
National Galleries of Scotland
Painter, designer and writer, born in Glasgow. He attended the School of Art there, 1958–61; Edinburgh College of Art, 1961–2; Glasgow School of Art, 1962–3; then a travelling scholarship took him to Italy in 1963–4. Among his many pursuits Byrne worked as a graphic artist for Scottish Television; did carpet design; and designed record sleeves and book-jackets. He had his first one-man show at Glasgow’s Third Eye Centre in 1975, having become a full-time painter in 1968, signing his work Patrick. This early work was frequently of a whimsical Scottish nature, work under his own name being more mainstream. Byrne was strongly associated with Portal Gallery. Developed another career as a scriptwriter and playwright, writing the successful television series Tutti Frutti and The Slab Boys Trilogy.
Text source: 'Artists in Britain Since 1945' by David Buckman (Art Dictionaries Ltd, part of Sansom & Company)