'Roger Kemp has laboured long to evolve a symbolic language, a rough-hewn but complex geometry of circle and square, which would effectively make the paintings revelations and not schematic illustrations. The speed and directness of Kemp’s painting procedures are part of this enterprise, to trap and hold the abstract play of forces at their rawest. "The painting becomes a magnet," as Kemp once observed…Kemp’s contribution to the development of abstract painting in Australia is substantial. He has shown how a personal language can be developed from experience with effort and tenacity without recourse to models from abroad.'
Reference: Roger Kemp: Cycle and Directions 1935 –1975, Monash University Department of Visual Arts, Exhibition Gallery, Melbourne: The Gallery, 1978 pp.1-2.