Mc Gourty born in 1954 rejected formal art education, and travelled across Europe working in various occupations from railways to building sites in Germany to picture framing in London. While this lifestyle may not relate to art in its academic forms, the experiences imbued the artist with a collection of images which would later emerge on the canvas.

This and the experiences of childhood have shaped the creative urge. Early life was spent in west Fermanagh, and surrounding counties of Leitrim and Donegal where small holders diced with nature to eke out an existance from rocky soil.

Gerard McGourtys work is widely collected in Ireland and more and more by collectors in The U.K, Europe and the U.S.A