Oscar Romp

Figurative Artist

Oscar Romp

Figurative Artist

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Building Up The Vision

Laying The Foundation Paint Layers

Bashing-out A Painting In 2 Days

Making A Painting To Capture A Vibe

Reflections On War And Peace

Path By The Clockhouse At Denmans Gardens (1)

Path By The Clock House At Denmans (2)

Path By The Clockhouse At Denmans (3)

00:00 Tue 28th May 2024

One thing about drawing gardens and nature so intently (inc. man’s adoring but manipulative dance with nature), - is that everything is so pretty and beautiful, with a wonderful struggle between chaos, order and harmony, - with harmony as an aspiration of both the painter (me) and the gardener. But another side of being an artist/creative person, is that you are acutely aware of all the pain, suffering, violence, injustice and Disharmony perpetuated in the world by ‘Man’ at it’s most powerful, and least ‘Human’. Though I am sometimes vocal about these things in words, I’ve rarely been any good at addressing these things in my visual artworks. Its a lot to do with my customary decision to ‘accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative’. And yet as an artist maybe i also have a responsibility to question big wrongs? I’m just thinking aloud here, - but you are my chosen listener if you bother to read this.

 

When I was a kid at primary school, the carnage of Vietnam was in the news every day. My friend Yves Yarwood and I made a Bayeux Tapestry-format charcoal drawing of helmeted tommy gun wielding soldiers mowing down fleeing Asian peasants, wearing those triangular Chinese hats. We had just seen it on the 6 o’clock news. But the scene was also straight out of Goya’s ‘Disasters Of War’, - though Yves and I did not know it at the time… So, - after lovingly rendered golden light over a beautiful, harmonious garden, - I get the feeling I need to go a draw a big battle, by way of contrast. It is also interesting that as a child I was obsessed with military history and war. I think (unfortunately) many male children are instinctively drawn to this. I would do panoramic re-enactments in felt tip of the battles of Waterloo, Balaclava, The Boer War battles, right up to WW2. The uniforms and arms were obsessively well observed and correct to each historical period. The drawn uniforms, ranks, arms and consequent graphic violence with oodles of red felt tip blood gave my childish brain an adrenaline rush. But parallel to this was a growing awareness that violence and war is horrific, tragic, wasteful, …and to be avoided at all costs (despite this instinctive male warrior instinct). So inside every pacifist is a warrior busting to get out. And vice versa. Nothing is ‘black and white’ eh?