THE PAINTINGS OF GERALDUS JOHN

Geraldus John was born in West Glamorgan and studied chemical engineering. He has lived in Wales all his life but spent periods abroad in his work with a major oil company. He travelled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East. Travel and industrial experience have been important influences on his painting. He is an early member of the Vale of Glamorgan Artists and has exhibited extensively in the home area and abroad with the group. He has also held several one-man exhibitions and had paintings selected for all but one of Welsh Artist of the Year Exhibition held at St. David’s Hall, Cardiff. He also collaborated with artist Shirley Anne Owen in a series of four, ‘DEM AND PROG’ annual exhibitions at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre.

I work mostly in oils and mixed media and have a lasting interest in the decay and regeneration of industrial landscape. My work is bold with strong colours exercised over a wide tonal range. The Genesis series of paintings illustrates this.

My series “An die Musik” examines the relationship between Fine Art and Music. It is an attempt to capture the essence of each composer and set it down in paint-a transference from one medium to another. In many of the works I have introduced well-known images, which can be a key to the composer’s identity. In others I lean towards abstraction, perhaps in deference to music’s predominantly abstract form.