John Mitchell

John Mitchell (1942–2014) was a British painter, sculptor and tutor renowned for his abstract, geometric work and use of proportional systems, particularly the Fibonacci sequence.

Working serially, Mitchell created families of paintings, drawings and sculptures exploring repetition, variation, colour and form. His distinctive compositions often incorporated precisely measured geometric structures filled with vibrant pigments, including cobalt blue, red ochre, indigo and burnt sienna.

Mitchell taught at Coventry College of Art and Stourbridge College of Art before becoming Gregory Fellow in Painting at the University of Leeds from 1978 to 1980. His work was exhibited internationally, including six exhibitions at Gallery Swart in Amsterdam, and was the subject of a major survey at Birmingham’s Ikon Gallery in 1987.

Based in Cornwall, Mitchell worked from his studio overlooking Newlyn Harbour. His fascination with repetition and variation is particularly evident in his Frustum and Fillers series, which encompassed both painting and sculpture in wood and bronze.

His work is held in several major public collections, including the Arts Council Collection, Leeds Art Gallery and the University of Leeds Art Collection.