Jumbled, Surreal Scenarios: Painting by Josef-Peter Römer
German artist Josef-Peter Römer is a figurative painter who specializes in jumbled, surreal scenarios pulled from his dreams. Josef-Peter currently lives and works in Wisconsin.
I find the sort of fragmented look of Josef-Peter’s works really interesting. The artist fills each canvas with figures, each of which seems to be participating in their own separate scene, yet also interacting indirectly with other moments in the painting. With a skewed perspective, the viewer seems to take an omniscient viewpoint, seeing multiple facets of a larger story as it unfolds.
Ms Kohleen Lyons and Self, oil on masonite panel
Each of Josef-Peter’s works draws inspiration from a multiplicity of sources, both internal and external. The artist’s background of military service is portrayed in several of the works, alongside figures from fantasy, mythology and pop-culture. The artist also sometimes apes different styles to suit different figures – cartoons are rendered in the typical hard-outlined and flat-colored fashion while military men are given a more realistic and detailed treatment.
