Turn On, Tune In, and Enjoy Roy Colmer’s Inventive 1970s Canvases Inspired by Flickering TVs

Show of the Day: The spraygun painter's work is on view at Lisson Gallery in London.

Roy Colmer Untitled #20 (1972). Acrylic on canvas 193 x 154.9 cm 76 x 61 inches © Roy Colmer Estate; Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Roy Colmer

Lisson Gallery, London
November 25, 2017-January 13, 2018

What the Gallery Says:Reminiscent of early TV sets flickering to life, the paintings on display as part of the exhibition—all from the early 1970s and rarely exhibited before—display an optical haze of colour built around horizontal stripes and pulsating lozenge-like, organic forms.”

Why It’s Worth a Look: The London-born, Hamburg-trained, New York-based artist Roy Colmer (1935–2014) converted his spray gun to be able to change colours in the course of a single pass across the canvas, with mesmerizing results. 

What It Looks Like:

Roy Colmer, Installation view. Photo by George Darrell © Roy Colmer Estate; Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Roy Colmer, Installation view. Photo by George Darrell
© Roy Colmer Estate; Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Roy Colmer, Installation view. Photo by George Darrell © Roy Colmer Estate; Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Roy Colmer, Installation view. Photo by George Darrell
© Roy Colmer Estate; Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Roy Colmer, Installation view. Photo by George Darrell
© Roy Colmer Estate; Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Roy Colmer, Installation view. Photo by George Darrell
© Roy Colmer Estate; Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Roy Colmer, Installation view. Photo by George Darrell
© Roy Colmer Estate; Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Roy Colmer, Untitled (1970)
© Roy Colmer Estate; Courtesy Lisson Gallery


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