It is with great sadness to hear that our comrade John Molyneux has died.
He was an inspiration to me. He explained complex ideas in a way that I could understand. As someone who has always found it hard to read, John’s explanations meant I had access to concepts and ideas that I wouldn’t have done otherwise. It meant I could take part in political life and strenthen my ideas, thinking and imagination – one of the biggest gifts anyone can give. He made even the most difficult theories accessible with real life examples and everyday relatable explanations. His short books and pamphlets were relevant, relatable, and brought me so much clarity. Hearing him speak helped me understand things I wouldn’t have from reading alone.
I had dismissed high art and didn’t understand it when I was younger. I found it inaccessible but his analysis and explanations helped me to decode and makes sense of it from a historical materialist perspective. He kept alive great work such as from John Berger, someone I never would have known about otherwise, and helped me see art, design and my own work in an entirely different way. I loved visiting John and Mary in Ireland for May day in Dublin one year, visiting the picket lines and ca.paigning for Equal Marriage. I learnt so much from one of the the kindest, most generous comrades i could ever know. He was always willing to explain and encourage. And as a Leninist no more so of the need for a revolutionary party. He was not afraid of polemic but his work on Marxism and anarchism during the 2010 student and workers uprisings scross the world was non dogmatic. It demonsteated a real understanding of the context, the arguements and brought sharp clarity and understanding to those of us navigating a very fluid social and political movement. Personally I used it to sharpen my understanding of identity politics – not because it was the same issue but because its attraction was a manifestation of the same political period. Something that required the same sensitivity and non dogmatism in exposing it as a political cul -de sac – something John had clearly understood by being honest about its attractions. Political life will not feel the same without him.
As the title he chose for one of his books on philosophy he quoted Marx saying “the point is to change it” and as someone from the ’68 generation John would be the person I would most attribute to being inspired to find out more for myself and learn all about art in the Russian revolution and art as a tool for change.
John’s introductions to so many ideas quite literally opened my eyes to seeing the world and visual communication in a different way. I owe many years of experiences being enriched by this lens. By insight and meaning I would not have seen otherwise.
“Travailleurs la lutte continue; constituez-vous en comité de base.” (Workers, the fight continues; form a basic committee).
“La lutte continue!”
(The struggle continues)
Rest in power John 
