Painter and teacher who studied at Tunbridge Wells School of Art, 1967–9, Brighton College of Art, 1969–70, and Canterbury College of Art, 1970–3. In 1976 Ocean was artist-in-residence on an American tour with the singer Paul McCartney. Ocean had strong popular music connections, for a time being bass guitarist with the Ian Dury group Kilburn and the High Roads. In 1979 he obtained a commission for the Artistic Records Committee of the Imperial War Museum. From 1978 showed at RA Summer Exhibition. Other exhibitions included Whitechapel Open Exhibition at Whitechapel Art Gallery, from 1980; Imperial Tobacco Portrait Award at National Portrait Gallery from 1980, Ocean being a winner in 1982. In that year he wrote, illustrated and published The Ocean View.

Text source: 'Artists in Britain Since 1945' by David Buckman (Art Dictionaries Ltd, part of Sansom & Company)


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