John Kearney (August 31, 1924 – August 10, 2014 ) was an American artist, best known for his sculptures made of car bumpers. During his career, Kearney was based out of Chicago and Provincetown, Massachusetts. Many of his sculptures are displayed outside of public buildings.

Life

Kearney received his artistic education at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and the Universita per Stranieri in Perugia, Italy. In 1950, he co-founded the Contemporary Art Workshop in Chicago. Subsequently, he lived and worked in Italy numerous times, most notably in Rome in 1963 and 1964 while on a Fulbright Award, and in 1985 and 1992 while serving as a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome. Kearney learned his welding skills as a World War II U.S. Navy sailor while performing underwater repair of naval vessels.

Awards

Collections that own Kearney's work

Solo exhibitions

Outdoor sculpture

In Chicago area Elsewhere