Artist

John Lurie

Portrait of John Lurie
Portrait of John Lurie

American, b. 1952

John Lurie is an American artist. 2 works are cataloged here, principally at Museum of Modern Art. John Lurie was born in Minneapolis.

John Lurie (born December 14, 1952) is an American musician, painter, actor, director, and producer. He co-founded the Lounge Lizards jazz ensemble; has acted in 19 films, including Stranger than Paradise and Down by Law; has composed and performed music for 20 television and film works; and he produced, directed, and starred in the Fishing with John television series. In 1996 his soundtrack for Get Shorty was nominated for a Grammy Award, and his album The Legendary Marvin Pontiac: Greatest Hits has been praised by critics and fellow musicians.

Since 2000, he has suffered from symptoms attributed to chronic Lyme disease and has focused his attention on painting. His art has been shown in galleries and museums around the world. His primitivist painting Bear Surprise became an internet meme in Russia in 2006.

His television series, Painting with John, debuted on HBO in January 2021 and ran for three seasons before being cancelled. Lurie's 1980s NYC memoir, The History of Bones, was published by Penguin Random House in August 2021.

Works by John Lurie

Collections represented

Catalog records compiled from museum open-access collections; the artworks shown are in the public domain. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.