UK-BORN Roo Burridge’s artwork is innovative and poignant. She studied at Kingston Polytechnic, gaining a B.A. Fine Art hons. degree in 1985 and subsequently moved to Lisbon in 1993. Recently, The Resident caught up with Roo to find out more about her artistic skills.
“After being sidetracked over the years, I’ve come to realise that painting is what I do best. Although sometimes frustrating, like most things that push you, painting gives me a great thrill,” Roo said.
“I explore the figure through a variety of media, including oil painting and digital imagery. The oil paintings focus on body language seen from unusual perspectives. Recent oils have centered on the idea of a group having dinner and the resulting dynamics, expressions and humour between individuals,” she continued.
“The collages are digital images that I manipulate, print and build up as large-scale figurative pictures using acrylics. These are often simple caught instances in time. You know, those ridiculous moments of pure joy and elation, when you feel strong and independent. I placed some of them in a fairground situation, as it’s that simplicity and sheer thrill of the moment that I’ve tried to capture.”
A collector commented on Roo’s work: “It’s difficult to say which aspect of Roo’s painting is the most impressive; her obvious technical skill as a painter or her ability to conjure connections, emotions and histories into snapshots in time. Her strong, attractive works can seem simple and direct at first glance, but, like all art, as opposed to simple visual representation, they always take the viewer to another point in time or space and leave him/her with something to think about.” Since living in Portugal, Roo has held several exhibitions around Lisbon. Many of her pieces are in private collections. She is also available for commission work.
To view more of Roo’s work, visit her website www.rooburridge.com Bob Hughes
