Johnny Romeo
WHATEVER!
New Paintings
Few words capture both youthful ennui and the freedom of limitless possibilities like ‘whatever’. From the grunge-ridden disillusionment of Gen X to the savvy self-confidence of today’s Zillenials, people the world over have rallied around the mantra of ‘whatever’ to rise above the pressures of contemporary life. In ‘Whatever!’, internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo makes his triumphant hometown return to Sydney with an exhilarating collection of new paintings that celebrate the power of ‘whatever’ as not just a catchline for the disenchanted, but a revolutionary way of life. Romeo’s latest series sees Australia’s King of Pop at the height of his powers, as he uses his signature Technicolor imagery and razor-sharp wit to transform comic book superheroes and beloved historical figures into larger-than-life Kitsch Pop avatars that call on us to throw caution to the wind and be who we are destined to be.
Since its heyday as the quintessential buzzword of the 1990s and early 2000s, ‘whatever’ has transformed into one of the most powerful and complex expressions in the English language. Popularized in the 1990s through the explosion of grunge and alternative culture, ‘whatever’ encapsulated the existential angst of a generation disaffected by meaningless consumerism and the hollow pursuit of status. At the same time, ‘whatever’ was adopted as a tagline for feisty teens and fabulous fashionistas sarcastically cutting through the drama of everyday life. In his latest series, Johnny Romeo explores the full spectrum of this vital, loaded term as he veers from the cynical to the sassy, ultimately embracing the potential of ‘whatever’ as a clarion call for radical transformation – to do whatever you need to do, to be whatever you want to be. Despite its simplicity, Romeo skillfully reconfigures ‘whatever’ into a powerfully Poptimistic worldview that spurs us to follow our dreams and live authentically to the beat of our own drum.
At its core, Whatever! is about taking control of your destiny, channeling the vital energy within yourself to take a leap of faith and break free from the limitations of society. The series boasts a motley crew of outlaws and rebels, intergalactic voyagers and visionary Pop superstars who embody the hope and promise of ‘whatever’ with their own distinct flair. For some, ‘whatever’ is about realizing your self-worth and finding the strength to walk away from toxic relationships, while for others the term is a life-affirming mantra for pushing the boundaries and venturing into the unknown. In Romeo’s neon-drenched Kitsch Pop world, anything is possible as classical marble statues become glam rock superstars, earthbound foxes take to the heavens and primal panthers tear up the dance floor as savage party animals. Each of these figures possess an unshakable self-confidence that inspires us to say ‘whatever’ to the naysayers, to take up space and bravely define our own sense of meaning and happiness.
Throughout his latest series, Johnny Romeo uses his arsenal of Pop culture references and remarkable knack for culture jamming to visually explore the endless horizons of ‘whatever’ in profound and unexpected ways. Whatever! is rife with nods to 90s and early 2000s Pop culture, channelling the irreverent comedy rock of Liam Lynch’s ‘United States of Whatever’ (2002), the nihilism of Nirvana’s Nevermind (1991), and the cocksure swagger of Oasis. Embracing the ‘anything goes’ attitude of the series, Romeo envisions alternative realities where Pop Art ‘sad girls’ become feisty Gen X mavens straight out of 90s rom-coms, and troubled 1890s Impressionists find purpose in the gritty edge of 1990s hip hop. In these vibrant mashups, Romeo’s eclectic passion for comics and music truly comes alive, as Gothic superheroes find love to the euphoria of 90s techno, and cosmic travellers ride the waves to the sunny guitar-fuzz of bands like Supergrass and The Living End.
Bold, frenetic and in-your-face, Whatever! is an incendiary blend of explosive colour arrangements, audacious imagery and punk rock attitude that sees Australia’s King of Pop at his unapologetically Kitsch Pop best. In a world where self-doubt is the norm, Romeo’s latest series serves as a powerful reminder to never lose faith in yourself, to let your imagination run wild and embrace the freedom to become whatever you aspire to be.
Exhibition Closing Party: Friday 6th December, 2024 @ 6:30-8:00pm
Harvey Galleries, 515 Sydney Road, Seaforth, 2092, NSW, Australia Ph: +61 2 9907 0595.
RSVP to attend the Closing Party of Johnny Romeo’s WHATEVER! is essential.
RSVP to: rsvp@harveygalleries.com.au or – RSVP HERE
Exclusive Purchase and Preview period: Wednesday 27th November – 5-8pm AEST. Add your name to the VIP List – REGISTER HERE
Artist Talk: Saturday 30th November & 7th November – 2-3pm – REGISTER HERE
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s WHATEVER! can be made directly through Harvey Galleries (admin@harveygalleries.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 2 9907 0595.
Exhibition Dates: 28th November – 10th December 2024.
Johnny Romeo
SATELLITE SKY
Recent Paintings
Internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo makes his exciting return to Byron Bay with Satellite Sky, a thrilling mini collection of recent paintings to be shown at celebrated Byron Bay gallery Thomgallery. Lovingly curated by Romeo and Thomgallery founder Alex Thom, Satellite Sky showcases a special release of six iconic paintings from Australia’s King of Pop that have been masterfully handpicked from recent collections. Brimming with Johnny Romeo’s signature blend of bold Kitsch Pop imagery, explosively vibrant Technicolour arrangements and ingenious culture jamming, Satellite Sky is a testament to the universal power of Pop culture as a gateway to inspiration, hope and, ultimately, transcendence.
For decades, the motif of the satellite has captured the imagination of everyone from space-cadet enthusiasts and tech-savvy futurists to cautionary minds warning against global surveillance. For Johnny Romeo, the title Satellite Sky is an optimistic statement on interconnectedness that explores the way in which satellites enable us as a global community to share in the joy and excitement of Pop culture. Inspired by Lou Reed’s ‘Satellite of Love’, off his iconic 1972 album ‘Transformer’, the works featured in the collection act as cosmic transmissions from the Kitsch Pop age, beaming larger-than-life images that lift us out of the hum drum banality of everyday existence and encourage us to embrace the infinite possibilities of life. This is reflected through Johnny Romeo’s ingenious blend of psychedelic mysticism, high octane rock’n’roll attitude and slick hip hop bravado, where transcendental, three-eyed cats, Star Wars-inspired galactic gurus and playfully undead rock legends remind us to break free from the shackles of the ordinary and reach for the stars. Throughout Satellite Sky, Romeo has skillfully crafted a neon-drenched alternate universe populated by space-age monks, rock’n’roll misfits and reformed sports stars who are all working towards a better, brighter future where they can embrace their authentic selves.
With his latest mini showcase of recent paintings, Johnny Romeo cleverly taps into the creative and communal essence of ‘Cavanbah’ that lies at the heart of both Thomgallery and Byron Bay. The term ‘Cavanbah’ is the original name given to Byron Bay by the Indigenous Arakwal people and means a ‘place of meeting’. Within the context of the show, each of the paintings cultivates a meeting of minds unified through Pop culture. Eclectic influences ranging from the exhilarating guitar squall of grunge rock and the irrepressible spirit of sporting greats are cleverly mashed together with the wide-eyed wonderment of sci-fi and the mind-altering mysticism of Eastern philosophy to create unique Kitsch Pop visions that speak to our collective desire for transcendence and self-improvement. In many ways, Johnny Romeobrings a distinctly Byron Bay flavour to Satellite Sky, celebrating the beloved town’s long history as a haven for sport enthusiasts, music lovers and adventurous souls interested in exploring alternative forms of spirituality.
Satellite Sky is a dynamic mini showcase that offers Byron Bay art enthusiasts an exclusive insight into the mind of Australia’s leading Pop painter. With their eyes firmly set to the cosmos, Johnny Romeo and Thomgallery have delivered a shimmering slice of Kitch Pop brilliance that is sure to beam you out of your ordinary orbit into a cosmic wonderland where satellites shine the way towards a brighter, Poptimistic future.
Opening reception with Artist: Friday 13th September, 2024 @ 5:00 – 8:00pm.
Thom Gallery, 6 Fern Pl, Byron Bay, NSW 2481, Australia. Ph: +61 (0)411 813 999.
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s SATELLITE SKY can be made directly through Thom Gallery (hello@thomgallery.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 (0)411 813 999.
Exhibition Dates: 13th September – 27th September, 2024.
Johnny Romeo
WANDERING STAR
New Paintings
Even the stars sometimes desire to stray from their orbit and forge their own path. Wandering Star, the triumphant new series and highly anticipated return to New Orleans from internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo, is a kaleidoscopic, Kitsch Pop celebration of the rebel star that resides in all of us. Australia’s King of Pop delivers a pulse-pounding exploration of the human condition as he pushes his vibrant Technicolour visions to their darkest and most unapologetically pastel-Pop extremes. Wandering Star captures the complex duality of our existence, where the line between chaos and order rests on a knife’s edge and the road less taken leads us to re-invention and self-realization.
Taking its name from the spectral 1994 song ‘Wandering Star’ by trip hop band Portishead, the series explores what it means to be a true rebel and forge your own path outside of the regular orbit of everyday life. Throughout Wandering Star, Romeo populates his Technicolour Kitsch Pop world with guitar-toting outlaws, righteously raging bear eco-warriors and superhero apes, outsiders who have chosen to go against the grain of society and the natural order to live truly authentic lives. Much like the ‘Wand’rin Star’ of Lee Marvin’s 1959 smash hit from the ‘Paint Your Wagon’ soundtrack, Romeo’s wayward souls understand that the path less travelled can often be a lonely place, but that true freedom nonetheless lies in staying true to yourself and embracing the journey. Allusions to movement and travel appear recurringly in the series, as Romeo draws on the imagery of vintage motorcycle and aviation helmets and references trains to signify our desire for escapism as we soar through the cosmos of the unknown.
Wandering Star sees Australia’s King of Pop both at his most aggressively rebellious and joyously Poptimistc, as he dives into the duality of the human condition through his distinctive Kitsch Pop lens. Visually, Johnny Romeo delivers some of his darkest and most unsettling paintings to date as he depicts figures driven by anger and sadness and marred by tragedy and madness. At the same time, Romeo undercuts the emotional intensity of the series with candy-coated colours and life-affirming imagery that evokes the hopes and dreams of aspirational animals and rock’n’roll rebels looking to re-invent themselves. From cartoon sailors overcoming traumatic childhoods to mafia mavens experiencing near-fatal overdoses, many of the characters that inhabit the artist’s neon-drenched Pop landscape are flawed, complex figures capable of both goodness and depravity who embody the messy contradictions of human existence. Often trying to escape tragic pasts or overcome their inner demons, Romeo’s wandering stars ultimately remind us that we are all worthy of redemption and capable of radical transformation so long as we take the first step.
While Johnny Romeo’s latest series deals in weighty philosophical issues, he never forgets to inject his paintings with a serious dose of adrenaline-fueled fun. The spirit of rock’n’roll is very much alive in Wandering Star, as the artist portrays glam rock felines and well-coiffed rockabilly skeletons who embrace the rebellious attitude and hedonistic lifestyle of hard rock lifers, sometimes even in death. Bristling with an irrepressible punk rock attitude, the series evokes the bravado and irreverence of trailblazers striving to break with social and political norms to achieve true personal and creative freedom. Tapping into the electrifying thrill of rock’n’roll, Romeo’s motley crew of misfits and outsiders live dangerously on the edge, scouring the heavens for transcendental experiences while dancing perilously with death in pursuit of the ultimate high.
Wandering Star is a bold statement of intent from Australia’s leading Pop artist that calls on us to find our own constellations and march to the beat of our own drum. An incendiary fusion of punk rock grit, Kitsch Pop slickness and hard-hitting humour, Johnny Romeo draws us into a captivating Technicolour galaxy where the brightest stars are those that wander from the beaten path.
Opening reception with Artist: Saturday 6th July, 2024 @ 6:00 – 9:00pm.
Graphite Gallery, 936 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116, United States of America. Ph: +1 (505) 577-7873
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s WANDERING STAR can be made directly through Graphite Gallery (info@graphitenola.com) or by calling the gallery on +1 (505) 577-7873.
Exhibition Dates: 4th July – 20th July 2024.
Johnny Romeo
NEW RADICALS
New Paintings
In an increasingly cynical and conformist world, the most radical thing you can do is to stand out and be yourself. With his exhilarating new series, New Radicals, internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo makes his triumphant return to Boyd-Dunlop Gallery in Napier, New Zealand. Across 14 empowered paintings and two limited edition prints, Australia’s King of Pop pushes his dynamic Kitsch Pop visions to soaring new heights as he celebrates the dreamers and rebels who dare to push boundaries and challenge the status quo. Full of unshackled imagery and vibrant colour arrangements, Romeo’s latest series is a life-affirming call to action for us to join the Pop revolution and make a positive change in the world as the new radicals we are destined to be.
The series takes its name from the late 1990s alternative rock band New Radicals, whose feel-good 1999 smash single ‘You Get What You Give’ inspired the conceptual backbone of Romeo’s latest works. With its blaring guitars, pounding piano melody and upbeat lyrics about ‘having the dreamer’s disease’, ‘You Get What You Give’ was a rousing anthem that reminded a generation of disillusioned youth raised on the nihilism of grunge that they ‘had a reason to live’ and to ‘hold on tight’. Johnny Romeo harnesses the gleaming positivity of the New Radical’s lyrics to create his most Poptimistic series of paintings a date, envisioning a vibrant Kitsch Pop world where we all live up to our revolutionary potential to make our dreams a reality and change the world. Punchy, life-affirming imagery explodes off the canvas amidst a backdrop of vivacious, bubblegum colours and positive affirmations that act as electrifying slogans torn from Romeo’s visual New Radical manifesto.
According to Johnny Romeo, a New Radical is more than just a passive spectator in life, but a revolutionary committed to advocating for political change, disrupting the status quo, and pushing boundaries. The paintings featured in Romeo’s latest series are inhabited by strong-willed rebels and ambitious visionaries who stand firm in the strength of their convictions, follow their heart and push against the expectations of society to live their best life. In New Radicals’ Technicolour alternative reality, ferocious biker wild cats roar for change as they blaze new paths to self-realisation, while classic superheroes bravely break with convention to embrace their new love for skateboarding.
Combining an infectious mixture of Absurdist humour and clever social commentary, Romeo’s motley crew of misfits and dreamers actively beckon us as the audience to step outside our comfort zones and adopt mindsets that radically change who we are for the better. In this spirit, figures such as Romeo’s Soul-Powered Stormtrooper rise above the cruel negativity of their origins to transform themselves into New Age soldiers dedicated to shaping a better, more just world where peace and love prosper. Living up to the worldview espoused in the New Radicals’ single, these daisy-age dissidents recognize that you can only ‘get what you give’ by believing in hope and taking the life-changing steps needed to stand up to deeply ingrained injustices and assumptions.
Changing the world, however, does not just happen overnight. To be a New Radical involves a great deal of hustle and grind to shift perspectives and accomplish greatness. Romeo ingeniously taps into the hell-or-high water attitude of gangster culture and the aspirational extravagance of hip hop to comment on our own struggles to improve our lives and climb our personal ladders of success. Within the context of the series, allusions to material wealth are used symbolically as household pets are transfigured into icons of mobster affluence, and household hounds become regal boss bulldogs.
New Radicals delivers a compelling call to action, urging us to seize control of our destinies and become agents of change in our world. With its vibrant Kitsch Pop arrangements, stirring word passages and unwavering rebellious spirit, the latest series from Australia’s King of Pop serves as a potent reminder that the power to spark revolution resides within each of us.
Opening reception with Artist: Friday 10th May, 2024 @ 5:00 – 7:00pm.
Boyd Dunlop Gallery, 4 Hastings Street, Napier South, Napier 4110, New Zealand. Ph: +64 6 835 9681.
RSVP to attend the opening of Johnny Romeo’s NEW RADICALS is essential.
RSVP to: info@boyddunlop.com
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s NEW RADICALS can be made directly through Boyd Dunlop Gallery (info@boyddunlop.com) or by calling the gallery on +64 6 835 9681.
Exhibition Dates: 10th May – 3rd June 2024.
Johnny Romeo
FUTURE DAYS
New Paintings
Even in the darkest of times, there is always a glimmer of hope to guide us home. In Future Days, internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo makes his glorious hometown return to Sydney with an exuberant series of paintings that calls on us to embrace the power of positivity and harness life’s endless possibilities to radically transform our lives. Showcasing Australia’s King of Pop at his most uplifting and dynamic, Future Days is a larger-than-life celebration of hope as the vital force that empowers us to overcome adversity, find meaning and make our dreams a reality.
Future Days takes its title from the 1973 album by the cosmic krautrock pioneers CAN. The series is a spiritual successor to Johnny Romeo’s sell-out 2022 Sydney show ‘LANDED!’, which explored what it means to live up to your potential and find solid ground within yourself. In Future Days, Romeo builds upon this philosophy by asking: what happens once we have landed? Drawing on the experimental mysticism of CAN’s music, Romeo looks beyond the present for answers, using his inimitable Kitsch Pop style to envision the future as an alchemical space of transformation where anything is possible.
Within the context of the series, the future is not just a fantastical utopia that magically rewards passive bystanders. To reach the future days that we aspire to, we need to courageously step into the unknown, grow from the challenges we face in the present and be active participants in building our own future. Above all, we need to believe in the life-changing power of hope. Showcasing some of Romeo’s most electrifying and life-affirming works to date, the seriesis full of confident go-getters, adventurous visionaries and thrill-seeking hustlers who have taken the future into their own hands by dreaming big and daring to hope. In the neon-drenched future days of Johnny Romeo’s Kitsch Pop world, stray dogs soar the heavens to become moon bound space-hounds, while once ruthless Sith Lords find inner peace through Zen Buddhism. Abounding with vibrant, positive energy, these futuristic avatars of Poptimism show us that the seeds of the future are sown right here in the present, and that the promise of self-actualisation can only be achieved by turning hope into action.
For Romeo, hope runs deeper than having a sunny outlook on life. Just as the light cannot exist without the dark, hope makes its presence felt most profoundly during times of hardship and adversity. Johnny Romeo delves into this notion of duality throughout Future Days, crafting explosive Kitsch Pop works that masterfully teeter between joy and sadness, chaos and serenity, darkness and light. From once tortured artists learning to stop and smell the sunflowers, to Lichtenstein’s infamously depressed ‘drowning girl’ finding her calling as a scuba-thriving aqua teen, Romeo’s latest collection of Kitsch Pop misfits tackle their demons head-on and harness the lessons learnt from their struggles as opportunities to build a better tomorrow. Duality furthermore influences the artist’s exhilarating exploration of the human condition through colour, as murky, melancholic expanses of greens and blues give way to euphoric bursts of kaleidoscopic, sun-drenched hues. Johnny Romeo ingeniously plays off these contrasts, reminding us that even in these dark times we live, there is always a spark of hope waiting for us to bounce back bigger and better than ever.
Our ability to grow from the infinite possibilities we encounter everyday not only gives us the tools to create a brighter tomorrow, but the ability to take on the elements and defy fate. Drawing on the meditative, coastal grooves of CAN’s ‘Future Days’ and the terrifying grandeur of Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave’, the sea in Romeo’s works signifies both a space for self-discovery and a vast tempest that we must conquer to find inner peace. Meanwhile, feisty feline heroines and three-eyed mystic cats invoke the sacred energy of the moon as a source of rebirth and new beginnings, where divine intuition enables us to chart the tides of change. Flowers also play a prominent role in the series, highlighting the transformative power of positivity while cheekily bridging the gap between anguished Impressionists and tormented grunge icons.
Future Days is a spirited declaration of hope from Australia’s King of Pop that captures the breathtaking possibilities of tomorrow in brilliant Technicolour. Bursting with vibrant colours, bold, life-affirming imagery and savvy humour, Johnny Romeo’s latest series takes us on a rollicking joyride through the neon-drenched world of Kitsch Pop, where the bright promise of future days lies within us, in the here and now.
Opening reception with Artist: Friday 8th December, 2023 @ 6:30-8:00pm
Harvey Galleries, 515 Sydney Road, Seaforth, 2092, NSW, Australia Ph: +61 2 9907 0595.
RSVP to attend the opening of Johnny Romeo’s FUTURE DAYS is essential.
RSVP to: rsvp@harveygalleries.com.au
Preview: Saturday 2nd December – 12am-5pm.
Artist Talk: Saturday 10th December – 3-5pm.
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s FUTURE DAYS can be made directly through Harvey Galleries (admin@harveygalleries.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 2 9907 0595.
Exhibition Dates: 8th December – 19th December 2023.
Johnny Romeo
BIGGIE SMALLS
New Works
Internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo makes his thrilling return to Penny Contemporary Gallery in Hobart with his exhilarating exhibition Biggie Smalls. Comprising of five new paintings and ten original prints, the series sees Australia’s King of Pop put a refreshing new spin on his inimitable Kitsch Pop style as he re-visits some of his most powerful recent paintings, recreating them on a smaller scale. Taking on the role of a 21st Century postmodern visual DJ, Romeo ingeniously explores the creative process and what it means to reinterpret your own work, crafting an electrifying collection of paintings and prints that breathe new life into the artist’s warped Technicolour visions.
The series takes its humorous title from the name of one of hip hop’s greatest legends, Biggie Smalls. With tongue firmly in cheek, Johnny Romeo cleverly plays on the juxtaposition between ‘Biggie’ and ‘Smalls’ to capture the spirit of his latest exhibition – to reimagine some of his largest and most beloved paintings on a smaller scale. Throughout the series, Romeo draws inspiration from the playful creativity and unorthodox production methods of hip hop pioneers, who revolutionized popular music through their usage of remixing and sampling. Like a crate-digging DJ chopping and changing dusty soul samples into a fresh new hip hop tune, Romeo ingeniously toys around with scale, colour, composition and Pop culture references with his latest paintings and prints to reinterpret his older material in bold and fresh ways. Sampling and remixing have long played a role in Romeo’s art making practice, which he pushes to delightfully meta new heights in Biggie Smalls as he takes on the task of not just remixing Pop culture references, but his very own work.
As the consummate postmodern sampler, Johnny Romeo has littered his latest prints with humorously sharp Pop culture references cleverly curated from the worlds of music, film, and art history. Australia’s King of Pop skillfully mashes together the electrifying buzz of rock’n’roll, the fever dream mindscapes of psychedelia and the esoteric symbolism of Surrealism to create punchy, small-scale epics that filter the Pop-savvy auteurism of Quentin Tarantino and the raw introspection of Frida Kahlo through Romeo’s unmistakable Kitsch Pop lens. In prints such as ‘Boogie Kid’ and ‘Royal Funk’, legendary Pop icons and cosmic rockstars now considered music royalty are transformed into regal rulers ordering their royal subjects on to the dance floor. Meanwhile, works like ‘Siren Mode’ and ‘Fear Less’ see Romeo imbue his vibrant Kitsch Pop stylings with a refreshingly political spin as he re-contextualizes silver screen heroines such as Princess Leia and Mia Wallace from ‘Pulp Fiction’ into the Me-Too era as street hardened Feminist B-girls and ruthless mafia assassins. Romeo’s fascination with outlaw imagery and its intersection with Pop culture is further reflected through his kaleidoscopic double vision portraits of the legendary bushranger Ned Kelly, which explore the duality of the iron-helmed rebel as both a cold-blooded cop killer and a righteous anti-hero.
Change and metamorphosis play a central role in Biggie Smalls, both through Johnny Romeo’s creative process and his neon-drenched depiction of animals in the exhibition’s three feature paintings. Romeo’s fantastical beasts, ranging from an adventurous surfing bear to an intergalactic rockstar cat, all inhabit a space of radical self-transformation where they have transcended the banal limitations of their everyday existence to become the best versions of themselves. Tapping into this sense of wide-eyed wonderment and limitless possibility, Romeo creates an artistic parallel to remixing, suggesting that we never remain static and are capable of constantly redefining ourselves.
Biggie Smalls plays with our sense of the familiar and sees Australia’s King of Pop harness the creative processes of hip hop to remix his own paintings in fresh and original ways. With his uncanny ability to reinterpret and distill his distinctive Kitsch Pop style, Johnny Romeo has created a fun and electrifying collection of works on a smaller scale that feel immense and pack a serious punch.
Opening reception with Artist – Friday 17th November 2023 | 5:00-7:00pm at Penny Contemporary,
187 Liverpool Street, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia | www.pennycontemporary.com.au
Any enquires regarding Johnny Romeo’s BIGGIE SMALLS works can be made directly through Penny Contemporary (info@pennycontemporary.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 3 6231 5655 or Sonia on +61 438 292 673
Exhibition Dates: November 17th – 12th December 2023.
Johnny Romeo
DODGE CITY
Large New Paintings
Prepare to embark on an electrifying trip through the Technicolour wonderland of Johnny Romeo’s youth with his exclusive latest series of paintings, Dodge City. Comprising of five towering 2 metre by 2 metre works, the collection marks Romeo’s triumphant return to Perth and showcases his largest and most impressive works to date as he captures the joy and innocence of youthful curiosity in breathtaking Technicolour. Filled with classic superheroes and adventurous animals plucked straight from the early memories of Australia’s King of Pop, Dodge City is a playful celebration of childlike wonderment and the limitless possibilities of our imagination.
Johnny Romeo’s paintings have always had a flare for the cinematic, but his latest works catapult his signature Kitsch Pop style to truly blockbuster proportions. The influence of classic Hollywood can be seen in the title Dodge City, which takes its name from Michael Curtiz’s 1939 country western movie starring Errol Flynn. In the film, Dodge City is a brutally lawless town overrun with cutthroat thieves and deceptive mavericks. Romeo ingeniously subverts the crime-ridden feel of the film to create his own Dodge City, an imaginary candy-coloured dreamscape where rules cease to exist, and anything is possible. Inspired by the line ‘won’t you come with me to a place in a little town’ from Silverchair’s 1994 grunge anthem ‘Tomorrow’, Romeo transports us to the enthralling make-believe worlds we create in our minds as kids. Striking the balance between the nostalgic and the psychedelic, Dodge City symbolizes a place where creativity and childlike curiosity are given free rein to flourish.
In his latest series, Romeo’s intoxicating blend of punchy imagery, kaleidoscopic colour explosions, and empowering word assemblages draws us directly into an action-packed fantasy land where the creatures of the wild team up with the mightiest champions of the DC Comic book universe. A cheeky homage to DC Comics is shrewdly hidden as an Easter egg in the title Dodge City, which shares its initials ‘DC’ with the groundbreaking comic book publisher. Romeo ingeniously taps into our collective childhood memories, drawing from the classic comic book imagery of his own youth to masterfully pair together larger-than-life superheroes with majestic animals. Beloved icons such as Superman and Wonder Woman leap and soar from the canvases with an exhilarating, animalistic energy that calls to mind the explosive excitement of cartoon showdowns. Meanwhile, Technicolour tigers and courageous crows mirror the athletic prowess of their superhuman companions with striking action poses that blur the line between the playful and the primal. Beaming with positivity and a zest for life, Romeo’s dynamic duos remind us of our childhood innocence, the thrill of embarking on adventures with friends and believing in our dreams.
Nostalgia strikes at the emotional core of Dodge City. There is a decidedly retro feel to Johnny Romeo’s renditions of iconic DC Comic superheroes, whose classic spandex costumes harken back to the Golden Age of comic books. The fascination with vintage imagery extends to Romeo’s depictions of animals, who evoke the spunky irreverence of Hanna-Barbera cartoons and the cosiness of bedtime story illustrations. Romeo’s latest paintings appeal to our sense of the familiar and invite us to relive the wholesome reveries of our childhood. At the same time, the artist’s adoption of mid-20th century Pop imagery anchors his characters to the past, implying that at some point we all need to grow up and ‘get out Dodge’. Despite its boisterous energy and colourful arrangements, Dodge City bears an underlying gravitas that echoes John Milton’s lament for humanity’s loss of innocence in ‘Paradise Lost’. Romeo, however, refuses to fully give in, instead using the upbeat refrain of ‘I want to live, like animals, careless and free’ from Savage Garden’s 1999 smash single ‘The Animal Song’ as a driving philosophy to combat the cynicism of adulthood.
Dodge City delivers Johnny Romeo’s most epic distillation of his signature Kitsch Pop style to date, pushing the bold imagery, life-affirming energy, and vivacious Technicolour hues we expect from Australia’s King of Pop to glorious new heights. The series is a rollickingly fun trip through the imagination that invites us to rise above the limits of everyday life by rediscovering the joy and freedom of embracing our inner child.
Opening reception with Artist: Thursday 5th October, 2023 @ 6:00-8:00pm
Linton & Kay Galleries, 11 Old Aberdeen Place, West Perth, 6005, WA, Australia Ph: +61 8 9388 3300.
RSVP to attend the opening of Johnny Romeo’s DODGE CITY is essential.
RSVP to: perth@lintonandkay.com.au
Previewing from Friday 29th September, 2023.
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s DODGE CITY can be made directly through Linton & Kay Galleries (perth@lintonandkay.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 8 9388 3300.
Exhibition Dates: 2nd October – 21st October 2022.
Johnny Romeo
YEAR OF THE SASQUATCH
New Paintings
Internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo makes his exhilarating return to Canberra with his thrilling new series Year of the Sasquatch. Comprising of 15 paintings, five of which are smaller in scale, the series marks Romeo’s first show with Grainger Gallery and sees Australia’s King of Pop elevate his inimitable Kitsch Pop style to exciting new heights. In Romeo’s warped Technicolour world, bigger is indeed better as he delivers a visual feast for the senses that dials up his maximalist colour palette, Pop savvy humour and sleek, graphic arrangements up to eleven. Embracing the spirit of its colossal namesake, Year of the Sasquatch is a riotous celebration of living large that encourages us to push boundaries and tap into our inner potential.
The series takes its title from the 1978 book of early Bigfoot sightings by John Willison Green, which Johnny Romeo ingeniously jams together with Chinese astrology to create a new addition to the Zodiac calendar – the Year of the Sasquatch. Within the context of Romeo’s Kitsch Pop Zodiac, the sasquatch is representative of the giant within all of us, the towering persona that refuses to be ignored and drives us to greatness. Various rebellious animals appear throughout Romeo’s latest works, playfully connecting the series to the beasts of the Chinese Zodiac. While the titular sasquatch is not depicted, his spirit permeates these creatures and their human counterparts, who have each forged their destinies in their own unique ways. Romeo uses his penchant for intriguing culture jams to create big personalities that are infused with the effortless swag of hip hop, the youthful insouciance of 90s grunge rock, the slickness of Pop stars and the endearing weirdness of goth.Top of Form
Positivity is the name of the game in Year of the Sasquatch, as Johnny Romeo delivers works packed with bold, encouraging declarations of self-belief. Romeo uses his signature word assemblages as mantras of affirmation that are guaranteed to pull even the most pessimistic Debbie downer out of their funk. Statements like ‘Go Soar’, ‘Chase It’ and ‘Shine Forever’ imbue the series with a Poptimistic energy that motivate the audience to live large and fully embrace their potential. This zest for life is further explored in the series through the artist’s colourful fascination with motion and flight as he transforms ‘crying girls’ into emboldened pilots and pop stars into intergalactic explorers. In Romeo’s neon-drenched Kitsch Pop reality, even dearly departed rock stars refuse to let death stand in the way of a good time as they continue to kick out the jams from beyond the grave.
Inhabiting the larger-than-life spirit of the sasquatch, however, runs deeper than positive catchphrases and good vibes. To ‘be big’ we need to walk the talk and make ourselves seen. For Romeo, achieving our dreams is a challenging, but ultimately rewarding path that requires us to push past our comfort zone and undergo a fundamental transformation of self. Throughout the series, we see a motley crew of ambitious animals, cadaverous crooners and resilient heroines who all possess an insatiable drive for self-improvement. In ‘New Old School’, a chimpanzee strives to overcome his primitive animalistic urges in order to be a crime-fighting Guardian Angel, while in ‘Royal Holla’ a gangster Doberman claws his way up the ranks to become the Top Dog of his kingdom. Motifs such as blue moons, third eyes and flight imagery are littered throughout the series, reinforcing the power of progress and rebirth in enabling us to rise above our current reality and truly live large.
As an accompaniment to the series, Johnny Romeo has included five smaller paintings to be shown alongside the exhibitions’ main works. Drawing on childhood nostalgia, these paintings pay homage to the cartoon heroes and Pop culture icons that inspired Romeo to embrace the idea of Year of the Sasquatch. Characters such as Astro Boy and Donkey Kong inhabit Romeo’s canvasses with a lively and commanding presence that reminds us of the power of childhood wonderment. While smaller and more straightforward in scale, these paintings nonetheless pack a serious punch and reinforce Romeo’s uncanny knack for brash arrangements and striking Pop culture mashups.
Year of the Sasquatch is a life-affirming tour de force of radical positivity from Johnny Romeo that features some of his most confident and exuberant works to date. Brimming with explosive Technicolour imagery and an invigoratingly Poptimistic world view, the latest series from Australia’s leading Pop artist reminds us that the year of the sasquatch is the year of living large, and the year of living large begins in the here and now.
Opening Reception with Artist: Thursday 24th August 2023 @ 6:00-8:00pm
Grainger Gallery, Building 3.3/1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick 2609, ACT, Australia. Ph: +61 404 769 843.
RSVP to attend the opening of Johnny Romeo’s YEAR OF THE SASQUATCH is essential.
RSVP to: art@graingergallery.com.au
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s YEAR OF THE SASQUATCH can be made directly through Grainger Galleries (art@graingergallery.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 404 769 843.
Exhibition Dates: 24th August – 10th September 2023
Johnny Romeo
CLOUD 9
Paintings
Internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo returns to Melbourne with his signature brew of thrilling Kitsch Pop and savvy culture jamming in his latest exhibition of recent works, Cloud 9. Expertly curated by esteemed art dealer Michael Powe of Anala Art Advisory, Glenbrook, in association with Melbourne’s West End Art Space, the collection comprises of 10 electrifying paintings selected from Romeo’s bold catalogue of recent works. Cloud 9 marks the artist’s first time exhibiting at West End Art Space and showcases Australia’s King of Pop at the height of his powers. Brimming with vivacious imagery, kaleidoscopic colour arrangements and slick cultural commentary, the collection is a gleefully psychedelic exploration of the transformative power of happiness. Cloud 9 takes audiences soaring through the candy-coated skies of Romeo’s warped Technicolour visions, as he draws us into a state of pure Pop euphoria.
When it comes to capturing this overwhelming sense of being high on life, few expressions exude with the same joy and wide-eyed wonderment as ‘Cloud 9’. According to some linguists, the concept of Cloud 9 originates from the categorization of the world’s largest cloud, the Cumulonimbus, as a Level 9 cloud in the 1896 ‘International Cloud Atlas’. Others have suggested that the term was inspired by the ninth cloud in the journey of the Bodhissatva, considered to be the penultimate step to Enlightenment in Buddhism. Within the context of the series, Romeo masterfully combines the lofty grandeur of being on top of the world with a sense of spiritual ecstasy to express his own Cloud 9 philosophy, which encourages us to embrace life to the fullest in order to experience true joy.
The pursuit of happiness for Romeo is not just a feeling, but an ongoing journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. Echoing Buddhism’s Ten Stages of Enlightenment, the series portrays bold, larger-than-life figures driven to transform themselves and rise above the humdrum banality of their everyday lives. The will to elevate oneself and build towards a genuine state of bliss is captured with playfully Absurdist flair in paintings such as ‘Jet Boy’, in which a cat decked out in KISS make-up and aviation goggles dreams of taking to the skies. Romeo cleverly mashes together spiritual inquiry with a slick veneer of Surrealist humour as he depicts leather jacket-toting roosters embracing their inner Bowie while speed-obsessed biker skulls defy death to live life on the wild side. A master of visual puns, Romeo goes so far as to feature the baby from the cover of Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ jumping over Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ as he breaks through into the new age of Aquarius.
Bringing together some of the artist’s most lively and unabashedly Pop paintings, Romeo’s latest collection embodies the blissful exuberance of having your head up in the clouds. Prismatic explosions of candy-coloured hues beam from each canvass like rays of Technicolour sunshine, while bright, Pop savvy imagery collide with neon-drenched psychedelia to create imaginative works that blur the line between dreams and reality. Romeo’s colourfully mind-bending approach to Pop Art evokes the Beatles’ own fusion of Pop music and acid-tinged mysticism, inspired by their search for bliss and meaning while travelling through India. References to the Fab Four are further seen through the title Cloud 9, a nod to both the Beatles’ experimental sound collage ‘Revolution 9’ off ‘The White Album’ (1968), and George Harrison’s 11th studio album ‘Cloud 9’.
An exhilarating sugar rush of exuberant Pop slickness, warped psychedelia and humorous existential musings, Cloud 9 is an electrifying shot of Poptimism that masterfully showcases recent highlights from Johnny Romeo’s illustrious career. The collection sees Australia’s leading Kitsch Pop auteur deliver a joyous reminder to audiences that the journey to soar through the lofty heights of true happiness can only begin once we believe in ourselves and take the first step.
Opening reception with Artist: Friday 10th March, 2023 @ 5:30-7:30pm
WEST END ART SPACE, 112 Adderley St, West Melbourne 3003, Australia Ph: +61 415 243 917
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s CLOUD 9 can be made directly through West End Art Space (westendartspace@gmail.com) or Anala Art Advisory (info@analaartadvisory.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 415 243 917.
Exhibition Dates: 8th March – 25th March 2023.
Johnny Romeo
LANDED!
New Paintings
Internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo makes his triumphant hometown return to Sydney with his collection of new paintings, Landed! The series sees Australia’s King of Pop at his boldest and Poptimistic best as he asks the big questions in life, diving headfirst into what it means to be ‘landed’, to forge your own path and really come into your own. An incendiary collision of vibrant Absurdist imagery, skate-punk bravado and razor-sharp humour, Landed! is a Kitsch Pop odyssey of self-discovery where the ordinary transforms into the heroic and the magical becomes the possible.
Landed! draws its title from the 1975 album by Krautrock experimentalists CAN. For Romeo, the term ‘landed’ is not just about finding solid ground, but on a deeper level entwined with radical self-belief and living up to your potential. Conceptually, being ‘landed’ is a state of mind that focuses on being in tune with yourself and acknowledging that what you are searching for resides within you. Romeo distills this sentiment into his most brazen and confident works to date, using his signature blend of slick, Kitsch Pop aesthetics and witty wordplay to craft works that drip with an undeniable attitude and lust for life. Concentrated bursts of pure Technicolor erupt from the pictorial plane with whiplash velocity, imbuing the series with an electrifying energy that captures the excitement of turning your dreams into reality. Throughout the neon-drenched wonderland of Landed!, we encounter a motley crew ranging from cosmonaut chimpanzees to hedonistic skulls roaring to life as they break free from the constraints of the everyday world and ascend into their true selves.
Within the context of the series, the alchemical adventurousness of the band CAN becomes a powerful call to action to embrace life’s infinite possibilities. Romeo taps into the mysticism of the band through the motif of the circle, which recurs throughout the series as a compelling symbol of reinvention and new life. Powerful word assemblages such as ‘Flamed Up’ and ‘We Believe’ beam from the canvas with an invigorating sense of Poptimism. These bold epithets of encouragement fuse together the spiritual enlightenment of self-help mantras with the punchy positivity of classic advertising campaigns. Iconic brands like Pepsi Cola are ingeniously interwoven throughout the series, resulting in works that evoke the feel of attention-grabbing billboards while subverting the cloying cynicism of capitalism. When Romeo urges us to ‘Shine On’, as he does in ‘Rad Girl’, the feeling he instills in us is not just one of hope, but an unshakeable belief that we CAN truly do anything.
While the title of the series implies a sense of arrival, Johnny Romeo’s exploration of ‘landed’ is as focused on the journey as it is with the destination. In this respect, Joseph Campbell’s idea of the ‘Hero’s Journey’ (monomyth) plays a central role within the underlying philosophy of the series. According to Campbell, the Hero’s Journey involves someone who ‘ventures from the world of the common day to a region of supernatural wonder’, overcomes a crisis and experiences a revelation, then returns home transformed. Romeo evokes the spirit of the monomyth through his frenetic references to flight, skateboarding and racing. Chic mod racer girls trade blows with super-villain skaters and star-bound apes amidst a sea of high octane colours and sporty slogans as they hurtle towards self-actualization. For these figures, finding yourself does not come about through silent contemplation, but rather the fast-paced hustle of the here and now. The artist’s fascination with motion and speed is given a punk rock edge through the reappropriation of legendary skateboard brands like Rad, Thrasher and Santa Cruz. In some cases, Romeo’s subjects transcend the laws of physics altogether, breaking through the very fabric of the Matrix to conquer the impossible.
Brimming with explosive colour arrangements, larger-than-life imagery and a healthy dose of Pop-savvy humour, Landed! is a riotous celebration of life that sees Australia’s leading Pop visionary take his inimitable Kitsch Pop style to glorious new heights. Romeo’s latest voyage through the Pop psyche invites us to embrace the best version of ourselves and reminds us that the freedom to soar beyond the limits of our imagination can only be found once we have landed.
Opening reception with Artist: Friday 9th December, 2022 @ 6:30-8:00pm
Harvey Galleries, 515 Sydney Road, Seaforth, 2092, NSW, Australia Ph: +61 2 9907 0595.
RSVP to attend the opening of Johnny Romeo’s LANDED! is essential.
RSVP to: rsvp@harveygalleries.com.au
Preview: Saturday 3rd December – 10am-6pm.
Artist Talk: Saturday 10th December – 3-5pm.
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s LANDED! can be made directly through Harvey Galleries (admin@harveygalleries.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 2 9907 0595.
Exhibition Dates: 3rd December – 20th December 2022.