A FORMER Wantage schoolboy who quit his ten-year career as an actor to walk around the UK is today opening an exhibition in London of the maps he used along the way.
However these are maps with a difference.
Ollie Gomm, who uses the name Gommie, transformed each one of the Ordnance Survey (OS) maps he has used on his walks into a dazzling, explosive work of art – covered in paint, doodles and single-sentence poems and phrases inspired by that part of the country.
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The 34-year-old, who has no professional training in visual arts, has now turned the project into his entire life, walking the country on foot and painting maps as he goes, with no permanent home of his own.
And, he says, the whole thing was inspired by his Oxfordshire childhood.
The former pupil at King Alfred's school, Wantage, grew up in Grove and regularly comes home to visit his mum and dad Dave and Lyn, and his sister Corine.
He said: "The area in which we live is a real pivotal part of this process.
"It's a rural area, and I never learnt how to drive, so when I came back home from London I would walk everywhere.
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"I used to walk to Letcombe Bassett, Uffington, White Horse Hill, and I thought there is so much to see – I grew this love for walking and that turned into a real love for where we live."
After leaving school, Mr Gomm studied at Drama Centre London, part of Central St Martins.
He spent the next ten years working as a successful actor touring the country.
However, the whole time he was touring he was always writing poetry, keeping diaries and doodling, and this gradually turned into full works of art.
'Map 26 - They Actually Said That'
Last year he decided to pack in his successful career and instead become a full-time artist.
His first project was to walk across the country, and he set off from Dover in April.
He explained: "I knew the country wanted to be recorded, and I thought my own personal way might be an interesting point of view."
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After Dover he walked to Margate, Colchester and South End, then continued up to Hull and Leeds, later taking on the full length of Hadrian's Wall.
Making his artworks along the way, he shared photos on Instagram and won a huge following from the professional community.
'Map 1 - A Letter'
He said: "I do make work that is very Instagram-able because without Instagram I wouldn't be an artist.
"However, if you want to come closure to the works you can discover more underneath the surface.
"This isn't just for Instagram or the art community, it is for everybody."
In October he won the Saatchi Art Prize for best newcomer and some of his work is now with Soho House Collection.
Today he opens his first, week-long, solo exhibition at Messums gallery, London.
Some of his works are on sale at the show for as much as £2,000.
Asked how he felt about the valuation Mr Gomm said: "I don't know how it feels. I'm so poor that even if I sold out it would still be hand-to-mouth existence.
"It's pretty far out but you've just got to go for it.
"I do have this dream of buying a canal boat, but getting a mortgage... no.
"I've been doing this over time, I am committed to it and I can't go back."
See messumslondon.com and follow Mr Gomm on Instagram using his handle Gommie_poem
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