John McLaughlin
A Life Dedicated to the Void: The Abstract World of John McLaughlin
John Dwyer McLaughlin, born in Sharon, Massachusetts in 1898, was a quiet revolutionary in the landscape of American art. His journey toward becoming a pivotal figure in minimalism and hard-edge painting wasn’t one of precocious artistic ambition, but rather a gradual unfolding shaped by life experiences, philosophical inquiry, and a deep reverence for Eastern aestheti
cs. Unlike many artists who find their voice early on, McLaughlin began painting relatively late in life, in the 1930s, after a career path that included military service in both World Wars and an immersion in international trade. His father, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge, instilled within him and his six siblings a love for art, particularly Asian art, which would become a cornerstone of McLaughlin’s artistic vision. This early…
