Camden Features: Sean O'Gorman | Steel | Sculpor

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The Review - FEATURE
Published: 2 April 2009

Sean O’Gorman with a figure fashioned from sheet steel

The genius of a self-taught artist

MORE than 200 mourners attended a funeral service last week for Sean O’Gorman, a sculptor who created works of art – sometimes out of junk he picked up in the streets of central London.
Sean, who died suddenly at the age of 42, was a familiar figure in Holborn where he lived in a chaotic flat.
Born in Bradford, he came to London in his twenties and his skills as a sculptor and painter were largely self-taught.
He did study at Middlesex University for two years, having gained admission to the fine arts degree course on the basis of little more than a few rudimentary sketches.
“Sean’s creative genius was evident to anybody who saw his work,” said Jenny Anderson, his partner and mother of two of his children, Cal and Seth. Sean had three other children by a previous partner in Bradford – Xavier, who lived with him, Leela and Roman. He was immensely proud of all of his children.
Throughout his creative career, he was dogged by chronic depression and alcohol addiction and this prevented him from finishing his course at university. Thereafter, he would sometimes pose as a student at other colleges in order to lay his hands on cheap clay. He was latterly working on a series of delicate filigree figure sculptures made from recycled cereal boxes
Music was another of Sean’s passions; he had a fine voice and played a mean harmonica. He had a vast collection of music, largely bought at jumble sales and charity shops. A selection was played at a humanist service at Golders Green Crematorium on Thursday.
HOWARD HANNAH

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