Robert Ormesher: The Surreal Puppeteer

Robert Ormesher was a Coventry based artist and Punch and Judy puppeteer. This studio sale presents a selection of mostly unexhibited works by a largely unknown artist to the British public. Whilst Ormesher displayed regularly at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions and had produced portraits throughout his life on a commission basis, the works displayed in this sale reveal an insight into his personal style.

The sale includes a number of dreamlike surreal sequences from Ormesher’s private collection. These paintings have a notably more striking and sinister style than previously seen Ormesher works. Many of these are tied to a continual theme of the puppet master, with Ormesher himself a Punch and Judy puppeteer by trade. The puppet master finds himself engulfed by intoxicating scenes of excess and degradation. This iconography is juxtaposed with characters from the wider Punch and Judy universe to create complex and compelling visual images set within a hallucinogenic world of Ormesher’s making.

These paintings sit within the 20th Century surrealist framework, the artist’s choice not to display these publicly makes this a fascinating opportunity to view his private internal vision. Griffin’s Auctioneers are pleased to offer this unique collection to the market through the Robert Ormesher: The Surreal Puppeteer themed sale.

Welcome to Robert Ormesher’s hallucinatory dream world!