BIOGRAPHY:
[B.1972, Stockport] Living in Stockport, Greater Manchester, Robert Oxley is a self-taught artist specialising in low brow pop surrealism. For as long as he can remember, Robert Oxley has loved painting. He learnt early on that he could impress others with his art when one of his drawings was published in a book called ‘Getting Ready For School’ which was sent to nursery children all over the world. As he grew a little older, his work was influenced by his love of horror movies and rock music, and he would spend all his time drawing monsters and copying album covers. Robert developed a passion for wildlife, birds and natural history and, longing to be a zookeeper, he began to make and paint I remember back in 1991 when Sonic came out when I was 20 years old, some friends of mine were big gamers and bought the Mega Drive along with a Sonic the Hedgehog game. I remember playing it for hours and hours, so much so that I once had a dream where I was Sonic and I was leaping over the ocean, bouncing high over obstacles, while Pearl Jam’s song Deep played… I still to this day can’t listen to that song without thinking about Sonic the Hedgehog. I was super excited to be part of this collaboration, and at once had a vision of how I wanted to represent Sonic in my style. I found my only constraint was having to rein in my technique a little to keep the form of Sonic true to his character, without distorting his appearance. Being known for depictions of creatures from the animal kingdom, I felt my style really fits for Sonic. His character portrait, with his gaze facing forward, was a basis for me to give Sonic a surreal look whilst enabling me to retain the crucial theme of fun in my work. INSIGHT & INSPIRATION:
dioramas for imaginary zoos. At around 12 years old, he accepted a challenge from his grandfather to draw all the birds in an illustrated book of birds they both loved, and was a little surprised when his grandfather then arranged an exhibition of them at his work! Using acrylic on canvas, the approach to Robert’s work is all about being in the moment, the act of making the work and giving himself over to the process and the chemistry which he has nurtured over the years. He wants the work to look as if it was made quickly and loosely but on inspection every brushstroke is considered and painted meticulously; something which appears loose and free but in fact is complex which is what nature is all about. Working on such an iconic brand, with such a well-loved character, has been a great thrill. Staying true to the SEGA legacy, and being so keenly aware of the legions of passionate fans that I want to love my work, were the only faltering moments I experienced during the creative process. Realising Sonic in my own style, and seeing the image reveal itself to me as I worked, has been a real treat. Sonic has a hugely loyal fan base worldwide; new characters and constant reinvention have kept Sonic alive and brought in new fans of every generation. He’s now such an established figure in pop culture, and the games are as playable and immersive as ever. I mean, who doesn’t want to run fast and collect gold rings? Having an 11 year old son enables me to have family fun time playing Sonic, we actually have competitions over Christmas which is a constant source of competitive hilarity!
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