‘The Romps of Bognor' offer their art in major Chichester exhibition

The Romps of Bognor: Howard Romp, Pauline Farrington, Oscar Romp runs from October 25-November 6.

Sophie Hull, chairman, Oxmarket Contemporary, said: “In presenting this exhibition and the accompanying book Oxmarket Contemporary is continuing to showcase unsung artists whose work deserves to be better known and help them on the artistic ladder. Collectors now have the opportunity to own pieces not usually seen. Purchases from all our exhibitions and shop not only support the artists but help to fund us as a charity and support more artists of all visual mediums in the future.”

Gallery director Andrew Churchill first met the artists in the summer of 2021: “Howard and Pauline visited an exhibition I had organised and as we chatted it was clear they were both artists. Howard passed me a business card for The Romp Family which included a website. After they had left I took a look at their site. I was astonished by what I saw. Museum quality works by the three active members of the artistic family, made over many decades. I quickly arranged to visit them in Bognor Regis, amused by the answerphone message that told me I had reached ‘the Romps of Bognor!’ This became the title for an exhibition that showcases the art of Howard Romp, Pauline Farrington and their son Oscar. Howard Romp, born in London in 1939 and Pauline Farrington, also born in London a year later, have been together since their time studying at Camberwell School of Art. Their second child, Oscar, studied at the Royal College of Art and has completed numerous mural commissions and residencies and has exhibited frequently in Europe.

“However Howard and Pauline, now both in their 80s, have remained largely hidden from view. Having viewed their work crammed into every wall, corner, shelf and surface of the family home I kept asking myself ‘How have I not heard of these artists before?’ It was like discovering a family of Picasso’s on the south coast! The answer was, in the end, quite straightforward. Howard and Pauline had both worked in arts education and had largely elected not to engage with the commercial art world. However this lack of commercial support did nothing to hinder the ambitions for their work.

“Howard’s work clearly shows an artist with great control, depth and creativity. Howard’s work stretches across painting, assemblages, collage, sculpture. Pauline, whose role as a working mother often meant she had less time to make her own work, has none the less produced a body of work that evolved from her student paintings at Camberwell into a uniquely female perspective on looking and being looked at. Their son Oscar has, alongside his commissions, more recently focused on two diverse strands of work. He live-draws the dancers at jazz clubs in London, working on the dance-floor as people dance around him. And he uses the same approach of live-drawing on the beaches of the south coast and Arundel Wetland Trust.”

The exhibition runs from Tuesday, October 25 to Sunday, November 6 and is also online.​​​​​​​