John E Lynch

1914-2001

Born in 1914, he opened a small studio in Philadelphia with James Kelly (listed Abstract Expressionist who taught at the California School of Fine Arts in the 1950's and lived most of his life in New York City with his wife Sonja Getchoff). John Lynch received a Bachelors in Fine Art from Bradley University and then traveled to the School of Art San Miguel Allende run by David Alfaro Siqueiros. The program was subsequently shut down. He finished his time in Mexico at the National School of Art in Mexico City.

He arrived back in the United States and lived for a brief time in San Francisco during the ferment of the West Coast Abstract Expressionist Movement. Many of his friends became the leaders of that West Coast Movement, including Kelly, Getchoff, Defoe, and Gurdon Wood (President of the School of Fine Arts).

By 1953 he bought a piece of property in Marin County, north of San Francisco, built a house on Larkspur Creek and joined the art community there. His entire time there he was active in the Marin Society of Artists and was president for a time. He taught art for several years at the College of Marin. He entered many shows and won many awards as an artist in Marin County. He died in July 2001.

Information provided by Edward J. Lynch