John Coyle was born in Glasgow in 1928. After attending St Aloysius’ College, he studied art at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, the Glasgow School of Art and for short periods in Paris, Madrid and Florence, where he developed his artistic skills. These abilities explain his rich trajectory as a teacher, be it as the Head of the Art Department and subsequently Vice-Principal of Blackrock College in Dublin or his role as a lecturer at the National College of Art and Design and Dún Laoghaire School of Art.
In his paintings of figures, interiors and urban landscapes, composition is carefully considered and classically poised, usually with a strong structural armature. He liked to heighten a generally even palette with a note of tonal or colour contrast, giving his work a certain visual bite. A natural craftsman, he was adept at a number of skills besides drawing and painting, including bookbinding and woodwork.
His images are direct extractions from his surroundings. A quiet observer of nature, Coyle thoughtfully drew inspiration as an artist, while inspiring others as a teacher. Artists Robert Ballagh and Fergus Martin and designer Paul Costello count themselves among his faithful pupils. A traditionalist by training and trade, Coyle was never closed to novelty, evolution and modernity, encouraging it among his students. Having suffered himself from stifling dogmatism as a student, he was careful not to reproduce such educational mistakes.
The artist first shared the qualities of his corpus in 1948 in Cork. Since then, his paintings have travelled extensively. Celebrated for his creative and transmissive talents, he became an associate member of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1979 and a full member in 1982.
Coyle passed away in Dún Laoghaire in 2016.