John Byrne dies aged 83: Tributes to iconic artist who was pals with Billy Connolly & ex of Tilda Swinton
SCOTTISH playwright and artist John Byrne has died aged 83.
The iconic figure in Scotland's art scene died peacefully yesterday with his wife Jeanine by his side.
Paisley-born Byrne became a notable playwright for his The Slab Boys trilogy, a set of three plays which put the spotlight on working class life in Scotland.
Byrne had a relationship with Hollywood star Tilda Swinton in 1989, and they had twins Honor and Xavier Swinton Byrne in 1997 before they went their separate ways in 2003.
He was also a pal of legendary comic Billy Connolly, and even painted the large murals of the Big Yin on buildings across Glasgow.
The talented artist wrote Tutti Frutti, the six-part series starring Robbie Coltrane.
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It aired on the BBC in 1987 and picked up SIX BAFTA wins.
He also designed record covers for The Beatles and Gerry Rafferty.
The Fine Art Society led tributes to the iconic artist, saying he was one of the "most notable playwrights of his generation."
Announcing his death, they said: "John was one of the most inventive and versatile of all Scotland’s modern artists. As well as being a technically masterful painter, he was a designer of theatre sets and album covers and one of the most notable playwrights of his generation. The Slab Boys (1978) and Tutti Frutti (1981) were landmarks of theatre and TV.
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"He designed record covers for Donovan, The Beatles, Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connolly. His work is held in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery.
"Born in Paisley and trained at the Glasgow School of Art, his own image was a signature of Scotland. He recreated it over and over in the self-portraits which made his finely cultivated appearance instantly recognisable, wreathed in cigarette smoke, his hooded, often sleep-deprived eyes twinkling with self-aware amusement."
Tributes have poured in for the star after the tragic news of his passing.
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf took to social media, saying: "There are not the words to do justice to the talents of John Byrne.
"An extraordinary playwright, artist and designer. Scotland has lost a cultural icon, and the world is less brighter with his passing.
"My thoughts are with his wife Jeanine, family, friends & all who loved him."
Author Graeme Thomson wrote: "John Byrne was a wonderful man; an artist to his fingertips, in the round, who balanced wit, tragedy, humanity, naturalism and surrealism, with true grace. He simply had a unique and brilliant way of looking at the world. Irreplaceable."
British painter Alison Watt paid tribute, saying: "So very sad to hear of the death of the brilliant John Byrne. Supremely gifted as an artist and playwright, generous, funny and the most stylish man I’ve ever met."
