John Currin
PainterKnown for:
Technically masterful figurative oil paintings combining Old Master techniques with satirical contemporary subject matter
Education:
Carnegie Mellon University (BFA, 1984); Yale University (MFA, 1986)
John Currin is an American painter born in Boulder, Colorado in 1962, known for figurative oil paintings that merge Old Master techniques with provocative, often satirical contemporary imagery. He studied at Carnegie Mellon University and Yale University, and as a teenager took private lessons from classically trained Ukrainian painter Lev Meshberg. His work draws from sources ranging from Renaissance portraiture to pinups and popular culture, rendered with meticulous glazing and layering techniques. He is represented by Gagosian Gallery and lives in New York City with his wife, artist Rachel Feinstein.
John Currin's Gear List(10)
Winsor & Newton
Product description
Winsor & Newton has manufactured artists' oil colours in London since 1832, and its professional-grade line remains one of the most widely used in studio painting worldwide. The range covers more than 120 pigments, each ground in cold-pressed linseed or safflower oil to a standard of consistency that has changed little since the nineteenth century. Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon were among the many painters who worked from the Winsor & Newton range throughout their careers.
Connection note
Uses Winsor & Newton for earth tones and various colors, discussed in interview about his painting materials.
Old Holland
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Last updated March 22, 2026
