Roy Colmer

Renowned for his conceptual photography, film projects, and vibrant paintings saturated with color, Roy Colmer boldly pushed the boundaries between these artistic disciplines, aiming to cultivate a fresh perspective.  

Biography of Roy Colmer

Roy Colmer was born in London in 1935. When he was 20, he was drafted into the British Army and served in Germany. Following his military service, he pursued painting studies at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg on a full scholarship, under the mentorship of professors Almir Mavignier, Eduardo Paolozzi, and Georg Gresko.

In 1966, he relocated to New York City, where he continued painting while also exploring film and photography.

Between November 1975 and September 1976, Colmer embarked on a project titled "Doors, NYC," during which he photographed over 3000 doors. This endeavor became his seminal work, and in 2005, the New York Public Library acquired a complete edition for its archives.

Additionally, Colmer served as a photography instructor at the New School in New York from 1987 to 1995.  

In 1988, Colmer was awarded the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, followed by a grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Art in 1990.

His paintings and video feedback works were featured in the significant exhibition "High Times, Hard Times: New York Painting 1966-1975," curated and circulated by Independent Curators International from 2006 to 2008. 

The artist passed away in Los Angeles in 2014.