If I were to describe Roman Feron as an artist, I’d call him a colorist, a collector of experiences and a creator of object-paintings. It’s hard to pass by his works without noticing the abundance of colorful dots, smears or knobs of paint carefully fenced within a string-and-nail enclosure. Perfectly iconoclastic, these pieces are layered with associative elements – from the pastels of the blotches, to the way in which they take over the canvas, delineating the artist’s vision of a particular phenomenon. What emerges as the most striking is their materiality, the juxtaposition of textures and an order in which these elements are shown. Meanwhile, the truth about their individual origins is hidden in the titles and the descriptions the artist generously shares, underlining the influence of several key components – his Mediterranean studio in Begur, jazz music and the dynamic of life.
Roman Feron – 100 Flavors of Ice Cream #64
The Materiality of Feron’s Abstraction
The abstraction Roman Feron achieves is grounded in his experience of syneshtesia, which underpins his creative process. Drawing from his experiences of the real-life social events, the artist transforms and condenses them, guided by the sounds he hears and the location he is in while creating. What we are presented with are methodical, dynamic, at times even seemingly chaotic, collections of thick, energy-filled impasto – assortments of single strokes that together make a unique, coherent piece. Through them, we are viscerally guided through the life along Costa Brava, around the holiday season, during local events, in the wake of disastrous natural phenomena… Hearing the story of each individual painting is thrilling, but it is not necessary. The observer of Feron’s works can easily find something to connect with instinctively, whether it’s a particular feature or their aesthetics overall.
Roman Feron – Social Entanglement #55
Roman Feron and Cologne
Based in Catalonia, Roman Feron has been creating under this pseudonym since the late 2010s. His sunny studio holds an important spot in his practice, while the works are inspired by the local living as well as by his extensive world travels.
Among the works he will be showing at the upcoming Discovery Art Fair, there will be “100 Flavors of Ice Cream #64” that takes us to any proverbial ice-cream parlor drenched in pastel hues and heaps of flavors, or close to that one coveted ice-cream stand on the beach. Hidden within the work is a subtle homage to Gigi Campi, a Cologne-based jazz producer and architect who he ran the famous ‘gelateria’ cafe Campi in Cologne from 1949 to 1980. Over time, his gelateria hosted many jazz concerts and became an established meeting point for local artists of all kinds and also for international musicians.
Feron will show another homage to the city called “Social Entanglement #55”. Painted in Cologne, this piece is different from the rest of the eponymous series, seen in the intensity of the hues and the dynamism of strokes.
As Feron said in his website bio – he is set on sending every sold piece to every buyer for free, but if you find yourself in Cologne between 20 and 23 April, come by the Discovery Art Fair, extend your support and perhaps get one of his intuitive object-paintings on the spot.