The fusion of architecture and philosophy into art
As an architect, detailed pencil drawings are second nature to Römer. With the onset of CAD programs, the disappearance of the craft of drawing and its graphic beauty was perceived by her as a great loss. It is what started Römer's lifelong pursuit of abstract, often graphite pencil, compositions, with clear architectural overtones.
The tendency toward abstraction likewise is fundamental. Architecture, after all, is inherently a very abstract discipline, and only becomes concrete once built. Architectural thoughts are expressed in points, lines, and planes and, until they get translated into buildings offering spatial experiences, remain in the realm of the conceptual. Compound this highly abstract form of thinking on paper with the intensely intellectual pursuit of philosophy and you wind up with an art that is forever questioning, speculating, and cogitating to find some essence or truth. These works explore rational, conceptual, spatial arrangements aiming toward compositional balance. Römer's work does occasionally feature figurative elements but their juxtaposition with other elements always renders them theoretical, surreal, non-narrative, or distinctly out of place. |