Roman Greco and his painting
Impulsive and violent in its graphic quality and color, the opus that Roman Greco left behind is one of
primitive styling. Though the paintings may seem impenetrable at first glance, entering them is the first
step of the adventure. As his wife used to say: “Don’t look at the paintings, get inside them.” I did, and discovered poetry, both real and poignant. A raw pathos emanates naturally from the canvases, with minimal artifice.
Greco’s cityscapes, for example, are void of any human presence. He is not the witness of a period or era.
Rather, he emphasized timelessness, letting the stonewalls and elements (snow, clouds) speak for
themselves as he takes us strolling along the border between the figurative and the abstract.
"Violent expressionist"? "Tragic landscape painter"? Probably. But beyond his talent, it was his personal force and genuine drive that made him an artist of creative and original character.
Alain Blondot - December 2019