Born in
England of British- Icelandic parents, Gould lived in England, Iceland,
Ireland, Germany and Singapore before emigrating to Australia, fourteen-years
old, in 1966. There he studied at the Canberra School of Art with the sculptor
Ron Robertson- Swann with whom he worked, after graduating in 1978, on the
Melbourne City Square sculpture 'Vault’. From 1986 to 1988 John was based in
Nairobi, Kenya, and his subsequent stay from 1994 till 1997 in Harare,
Zimbabwe, marked a move from sculpture to painting.

In
2001-2004 he was in Beijing, and in 2010- 2012 in Port Moresby, Papua New
Guinea where he explored the landscapes and cultures of New Guinea and nearby
Solomon islands through his paintings. He had many major exhibitions of his
sculptures and paintings in Australia, Zimbabwe, Beijing, and Port Moresby.
Gould now is back in his home country Australia where he is teaching painting
and drawing and has exhibitions reflecting his interest in Pacific and
Australian environments and habitats.