Neil Roberts

I am most inspired by dreams, music, obscure books and the human form (the female form in particular). I am an idea factory and love to be taken away by a tangent of creative impulses pushing me into realms of profound experiences. I have borrowed and in turn paid homage to the surrealist artists, occult writer "˜Aleister' Crowley, erotic photographers like Roy Stewart and in particular painter/photographer Man Ray. My early forms of inspiration emanated from the Roger Dean album covers of my father's rock collection. I usually start a piece with a certain concept or vision in mind which usually branches into an avalanche of related ideas. I then try to filter the resulting raw material and create a certain core theme usually using digital software. I paint from a combination of life painting and photographs.
I choose to mainly paint with oils giving my work an almost classic feel to them. Painting with oils for me is tantamount to caressing my lover's thigh. Although I have a lot of respect and indulge in photography or digital creations often, I find viewers tend to respond to and appreciate my works more keenly in this way.
When people see my work I like them to experience both a mixture of nostalgia and déjà vu. In past exh...

Education & training in South Africa
Parktown College Vocational Education 1994-97
NSC (National Senior Certificate): (Art of drawing N3, 2D Design N3, 3D Design N3, Computer Graphics N3, Business English N3) N4-N6 Art (Photography, Painting, Drawing, Computer Graphics, History of Art, Entrepreneurship N4-N6, Sculpture N4-N6) (These qualifications are equivalent to an Art and Graphics BA Degree)