John Passmore

John Richard Passmore (4 February 1904 – 9 October 1984) was an abstract impressionist Australian artist. Passmore trained in Australia before spending many years in England. He returned to Australia, where he taught. When he died he left his money to his family but his paintings to an acquaintance.

Life Passmore was born on 4 February 1904 at Redfern, New South Wales. His parents were Elizabeth and John Passmore, who was a watchman. He was only thirteen when he left school and began working as a signwriter's assistant. Passmore studied at the Julian Ashton Art School, which is also known as the Sydney Art School. His fellow students included Jean Bellette and Paul Haefliger. He married Muriel Roscoe in 1925, and they had one son. However, in 1933 he left the relationship and, like Bellette and Haefliger, he travelled to England and studied at the Westminster School of Art, where he was taught by figurative painters Bernard Meninsky and Mark Gertler.

For many years, Passmore lived in England, working as a layout artist with Lintas both before and after World War II. For most of the war, he was a conscript in the Royal Air Force.

Returning to Australia in 1951, Passmore taught art, first at his alma mater, Julian Ashton School.

Passmore then went on to teach at the Newcastle Technical College, and finally East Sydney Technical College. His students included John Olsen, Keith Looby and Colin Lanceley. Passmore's son was left £70,000 The Gallery organised a touring retrospective exhibition of his work in 1985;