In the studio with John Roome

I started studying art formally in 1971 at Rhodes University graduating with a B Fine Art in 1974 and a Masters in Fine Art in 1976. Later in 2014 I obtained a Doctorate from the Cape Peninsular University of Technology. I lectured in Fine Art at the Durban University of Technology from 1977 until 2016 .  I was head of the Fine Art Department there for a number of years. During all that time, in addition to lecturing, I developed my own practice as an artist by participating in numerous group shows and held a number of solo exhibitions.

In my career I have experimented with many different materials and methods ranging from oil, acrylic, watercolour to industrial paints such as PVA and household enamel, paper pulp, and numerous printmaking techniques. At the moment my favourite process is relief printing.

I respond on a gut-level to the world that I interact with on a daily basis. Many of my ideas come to me while I am walking or driving to my studio. I usually start by taking photographs of things that catch my eye and intrigue my mind. I then interpret these images by drawing them - usually fairly big charcoal drawings. I also make small sketches directly from life. Using these drawings as well as the photographs to guide me, I use the relief print process to produce limited edition prints. This process is quite risky and full of surprises. The sense of not being in total control is an important part of my creative process. I see myself as collaborating with the process. Each layer of colour results in a surprise, and it is only when the last layer is printed that you know whether the print is successful or not.

Essentially I have always worked from direct observation of the world around me and still do. What has changed over time is an increased use of photography for reference purposes although I still draw extensively from life. My choice of materials has changed constantly as I love to experiment with different media. At the tender age of 69 I am beginning to work with clay for the first time and am excited to see what develops.

I seldom start off with a particular “message” in mind. I work fairly instinctively and respond to subject matter that intrigues me visually and emotionally. Once I start working with that subject matter I begin to discover what it has to tell me and then try to express this through my interpretation. My aim is chiefly to express an emotional response to the world around me.
What are some of the key themes you explore in your work?
At the moment my key interest is in the relationship between nature and the built environment. Trees that either just survive or in some cases even seem to flourish in a pretty hostile urban setting, seem to talk to me.  In a way my prints are portraits of trees. I use titles like Sentinel or Hardiness to emphasise this anthropomorphic approach.

From inside and from outside. It is a relationship between me and what I see around me. The work of other artists, living and dead, also inspires me. I am constantly looking for new approaches and different ideas.

I have two studio spaces. One is a fairly small and cluttered space at home where I can think and draw and do research on the Internet. I can work there at any time of the day which is useful should I get the urge to work in the middle of the night! My other studio is about 3 kilometres away in a light industrial area. I rent a space in a building along with other artists, architects and designers. I have equipped it as a printmaking studio with a press. This is where I do my bigger works and my printing. It can get messy and cluttered but printmaking does require a certain amount of cleanliness so it is a constant push and pull between creative chaos and the order required for producing professional prints.

It depends. Sometimes I really enjoy silence especially if I am concentrating on the technical aspects of printmaking that require extreme precision. Other wise I love having music. I mainly listen to Jazz as well as Classical music. The energy of Jazz, I think, helps to energise my work.
Only one song? Mmm, that would be difficult. It would have to be two. On a Classical day it would be a Mendelssohn violin concerto. On a Jazz day it would be anything by John Coltrane.

Difficult question. I think it would be my second solo exhibition in the early 1980’s because that was when I began to find my own signature or ‘voice’ as an artist. It was also the first time I received a really positive and encouraging review in the press.

Success for me has less to do with financial gains and more to do with recognition and appreciation of what I do. Someone recently told me that my work made her see trees in a totally new way. That to me is a sign that my work was successful. If I can change how people think about the world around them then I have achieved a lot.