John Opie

John Opie’s special collection of acrylic post–abstract expressionist drawings on paper from the 1960s

Emerging from university art school at the end of the 1950s, John began painting within the abstract expressionist movement of the era, developing a personal vocabulary of shapes, gesture, and improvisation. Over time, recognizable forms slowly entered the work, creating paintings that move fluidly between abstraction and observation.

These small acrylic works on paper from the 1960s feel remarkably fresh today—stream-of-consciousness compositions balancing spontaneity, structure, and experimentation. They capture an important moment when artists were exploring the space between pure abstraction and the everyday world.

🎥 Learn more: Watch John Thornton’s YouTube documentary, “Painterly Imagination: Lessons from an Afternoon with John Opie.”