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Dedicated to Alex
Jackson, sincere thanks
Standing in the
middle of Roy Freer's studio at Sudbury, your
very being is seduced by rhythmic touchstones
of visual energy. You become part of and surrounded
by still life arrangements and copious stacks
of paintings! A large canvas on the easel, which
is filled with a dramatic painting of table
top objects, has a black teapot dominating the
top edge of the picture. In another version
(propped up against a wall), the pot becomes
a white contrasting form. His compositions have
meticulous accuracy, using proportioned tracing
paper grids placed over his original pencil
designs. Knife, fork and door handle shapes
(placed with small tantalizing rectangles of
orange paper), are orchestrated into a frenzied
bagatelle pin-ball wizardry, kicking off sparks
and directions across the picture plane!
Roy has been strongly committed to full-time
painting for the last 25 years, where cup and
pot, table and chair, passage and doorway have
become a rich friendly focus. Although investigating
the tension between object and space similar
to the psychological warfare waging in Morandi's
paintings, he embraces his objects with a fluid
living experience full of energy and vitality,
blurring edges of shapes and allowing a mere
minimalist indication to express the whole form.
There is an added freedom of spirit in his work
of recent years with thicker slabs of paint
and crisp pencil line modifications. Black kettles
and dark blue saucepans impacting against bright
red backgrounds, fruits and flowers, empathise
with Mark Rothko's total drench of colour, grabbing
at your soul. The chair used as metaphor for
a figure wholly or partly seen, creates a tension
interacting with object and table, a device
frequently used by Roderic Barrett to indicate
the presence or memory of a person (broken or
fallen on the floor). Coloured light is deliciously
provoked in Roy's paintings with objects as
pattern retaining a mysterious power, and like
Matisse he is jolted into new ways of seeing,
reacting back to the sources of his energy as
a painter.
The delivered broad stroke passages of paint
by Nicholas de Stael, Richard Diebenkorn, and
the vivacious stabs and swirls of Willem de
Kooning have all inspired him with their spontaneous
response to art. Closer to home he has admired
The Kitchen Sink School of Painters including
Peter Coker and Ed Middleditch who have each
carried on this rich tradition of expressive
raw contact with materials and object.
Investigations of light, form and space (with
aligned groupings) continue to fascinate and
have become significant developments in his
work. Representing the object as high chromatic
fragmentation, to Roy "a big movement of
colour produced by full frontal sunlight is
almost as good as a meal!"
Ron Sims 2005
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- please enquire
for prices -
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ART
SCHOOLS & COLLEGES |
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1953-56 |
Bournville School of Art |
1956-58 |
Birmingham College of Art |
1968 |
Birmingham University, Art Teachers Centre
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PROFESSIONAL
MEMBERSHIP & ANNUAL EXHIBITOR |
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1982-90 |
The Pastel Society |
1987 |
Royal Institute of Oil Painters |
1989 |
Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour
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2000 |
New English Art Club
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AWARDS |
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Royal
Institute of Painters in Watercolour:
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1986 |
The R.I. Bronze Medal |
1958 |
Minories Colchester Essex, First of three One
man Shows
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Royal
Institute of Painters in Watercolour:
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1986,97 |
The Cornelissen Prize |
1992 |
The Caito Gallery Award |
1995 |
The C. Roberson Prize |
1997 |
The Stanley Grimm Prize
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De
Montford University:
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1997 |
Higher Certificate Distinction - Life Drawing |
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COMMISSIONS |
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The
Alcoa Manufacturing UK LId:
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1987 |
Paintings of Helicopters and Road Transport
Vehicles |
Shell,
UK:
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1992 |
Paintings of Ireland for the Company's calendar |
Fidelity
Unit Trust, Snooker International:
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1985 |
Painting of the snooker final between Steve
Davis and Jimmy White |
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RESIDENCIES
& PROJECTS |
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Bedford
Education Authority:
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1981 |
Artist in Residence: Beech Hill School |
Kentmere
House Gallery & The County National Gardens:
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1996 |
Painting Project |
1997 |
Kentmere House Gallery Project: Paintings of
the Musicians at The Early English Music Festival |
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SOLO EXHIBITIONS |
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1980 |
Digswell Arts Centre, Welwyn Garden City |
1981 |
Luton Museum & Art Gallery
Hitchin Museum & Art Gallery |
1982 |
The Morley Gallery, Westminster |
1983,84 |
Dower House Gallery, Berkhampsted |
1983 |
Brighton Polytechnic
Walton Hall, Open University
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1986 |
The Yarrow Gallery, Oundle School
Dan Sullivan Gallery, Bedford |
1987,89,91,
93,95,97,
99,2000 |
The Anna Mai Chadwick Gallery London |
1990 |
West Dean College, Sussex |
1994,96,
2000 |
The Caito Gallery, London |
1997,99 |
The Manor House Gallery, Chipping Norton |
1998 |
Unda Blackstone Gallery, Pinner
Orleans House, Richmond |
1999 |
The City Gallery, London |
2004 |
Cedar House Gallery, Surrey |
2005 |
Chappel Galleries, Essex |
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MIXED EXHIBITIONS |
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1988 |
The York Contemporary Arts Fair
Bedford Artists' Exhibition, Cyprus |
1990,91,92,
93 |
The Adam Gallery, Bath |
1990 |
The Daler Gallery, Bournemouth
The RBSA Galleries, Birmingham, Pastel Exhibition |
1996 |
The David Messum Gallery, London |
1998 |
Linda Blackstone Gallery, Pinner
The John Blockley Gallery, Gloucester |
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SELECTED EXHIBITIONS |
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1982 |
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition |
1990 |
The Hunting Prize Exhibition
Singer & Friedlander Water Colour Competition |
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PUBLICATIONS |
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1986 |
The Artist |
1988 |
Art Review |
1989 |
'Creating a Self Portrait', by Tom Coates, Pub.
Michael Beazley |
1990,92,
2000 |
Leisure Painter |
1994 |
The Complete Drawing' Course by Ian Simpson,
Pub. Collins
Country Living Magazine
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1995 |
The Artist's Manual', Pub. Collins |
1997 |
Antique Collecting Magazine |
2001 |
The Winsor & Newton Magazine |
Demonstrations
& Art Course Tutor:
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1980-95 |
Art Clubs & Societies in the Midland and
Southern Regions |
1990 |
Art Materials Fair, London |
1992,2000,
02 |
Art in Action, Oxfordshire |
1993 |
Jo Bromley Memorial Workshop, Frensham Heights
School |
Artist
Tutor:
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1968-90 |
Cassio College, Watford, Tutor Organiser - Art |
1981-83 |
Barnfield College, Luton |
1980-86 |
Phillips House, Salisbury |
1983-91 |
Elstow Craft Centre, Bedford |
1984-90 |
Flatford Mill Field Study Centre, Suffolk |
1990-2001 |
West Dean College, Chichester |
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