John Dolan (artist)

John Dolan (born 1971 in London, England) is an East London artist.^[1]

Overview

Dolan has lived in London his whole life and has been drawing on Shoreditch High Street for three years. Sitting there every day with his dog George, he documents the surrounding architecture and elevates the old, decrepit buildings that are so often ignored and under-appreciated.^[2] In the past, he was in and out of prison and often found himself homeless but has reformed his life to be able to look after George.

Dolan’s raw portrayals of the street lead a viewer to reconsider something that to them is merely a backdrop to their day. At the same time, he highlights how too often people living on the street are invisible to those walking past them. Dolan’s work asks us to open our eyes and see this city for what it really is. Dolan’s emphasis on repetition allows an insight into the changing face of what is now a highly fashionable, gentrified area. He represents the old Shoreditch, the unseen side that lies just below the surface.

"[...] he still sits on the street and draws. He is happier than ever and yet he admits his story is not quite happy-ever-after" (The Guardian). ^[3]

Exhibitions

Past exhibitions

In 2013, John Dolan started working with street artists including ROA, Stik, Thierry Noir, Giacomo Bufarini, Zomby, Christiaan Nagel, Liqen, Dscreet, Pablo Delgado, CEPT, C215, BRK, and others. A street artist in the traditional sense of the word, Dolan identifies with this new generation of street artists and them with him. These artists have collaborated with Dolan by working directly onto the walls of his drawn cityscapes, creating unique pieces, which were exhibited in his solo show, "George the Dog, John the Artist"^[4][5][6] in September 2013 at the Howard Griffin Gallery in Shoreditch, London.

Ostensibly the solo show for Dolan, has in effect been the biggest street art group show of recent memory, bringing a unique group of artists together to document both the constant and the ephemeral in a city that is ever changing.

A second exhibition took place at Howard Griffin Gallery in 2014. Entitled 'John And George', the exhibition centres around the unique relationship between the artist and his dog George, moving on from his street works to a more intimate focus on their lives together. ^[7][8]

John will give a talk about homeless people and their potential to help others through their life experiences, at the Ted in Bethenal Green (Saturday 24th January 2015). ^[9]

Author

John Dolan's first book "John and George: The Dog Who Changed My Life" was published by Random House in July 2014.^[10]

References