Honoring the Artist: Cuca Romley

- Marion Wolberg Weiss

Although Hampton scenes, done in a "naïve" style, have appeared on the covers of Dan's Papers for several years (thanks to the artist and gallery owner, Cuca Romley), there's a lot more we can learn about her professional pursuits. For example, she has enjoyed a successful advertising career while living in Europe, designed jewelry and furniture, and is known for her unique etchings. In many ways, Romley is a Renaissance woman. Her diverse styles and subjects range from the charming and meek to the passionate and mythic.

Q: You are now creating scenes of New York for your Manhattan venue, Gina Gallery. But you've been painting Big Apple locales for a long time, having lived there for 35 years.

A: Yes, I used to live near Central Park so that was always a primary subject of my work. It was like an extension of my home. I remember taking my daughter there to play all the time, along with my sheepdog, and my daughter loved to climb the Alice in Wonderland statue. The East Side, in general, near my home at Fifth Avenue and 74 Street, was also a favorite place for me.

Q: What scenes have you done recently?

A: The Plaza Hotel in the fall, facing Fifth Avenue with the sunset in the back; the cherry trees in front of The Dakota apartment building where John Lennon lived. I love to paint scenes depicting various seasons.

Q: These are all done in your "naïve style" - small works for which you are known - but I know you create in other styles.

A: Yes. I just finished a big canvas in my Sag Harbor studio of a naked woman coming out of the water. I was surprised at how fast it went. In the winter and fall, I tend to paint bigger canvases.

Q: I imagine it deals with myths and symbols, other favorite subjects of yours. Then there was your "red" period.

A: In 1997, I did a series that was all red, mostly reflections of downtown Manhattan. It showed the greed that people were attracted to, like Michael Douglas in the film, Wall Street. People don't realize that greed is dangerous. The mood I painted was destructive; it was a result of my divorce.

Q: Any other work as a result of your divorce?

A: I did a self portrait with a red sky and a vulture on my head. The vulture was my ex-husband.

Q: You also care a lot about the earth, the environment. What paintings have you done to reflect that?

A: I did a painting of the Grand Canyon that was also red. The red was like blood, and the Grand Canyon was crying because of what we were doing to the earth.

Q: Your paintings also represent where you have lived. Do you miss some of those places, like Paris or Madrid?

A: I don't miss anyplace, I keep going. You never know what's going to happen tomorrow. I accept whatever fate brings.

Cuca Romley's work can be seen at her gallery, The Winter Tree in Sag Harbor (631-725-0097), and at the Gina Gallery in New York.

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