Johnny Romeo
CHOOSE LIFE
New Large Paintings
What does it mean to be free in a world that has radically changed? Internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo explores the notion of post-pandemic freedom with his signature Kitsch Pop bombast in his thunderous homecoming Sydney exhibition, CHOOSE LIFE. The series of new original paintings is a vibrant celebration bursting with exuberant colours, life-affirming humour and punchy imagery that captures the thrill of embracing change and the limitless possibilities of a new world. Coinciding with Sydney opening up again after almost two years of lockdowns and restrictions, the exhibition is a passionate call to arms to rise up to greatness and cling to hope as we enter the great unknown and learn to live with Corona.
CHOOSE LIFE is a veritable feast for the senses that sees Johnny Romeo at his most Poptimistic and righteously rambunctious. Vivacious explosions of candy-coloured hues coalesce with slick graphic imagery to create works that embrace the nourishing power of human connection and capture the sheer joy of being alive. Romeo’s motley crew of folklore outlaws, comic book femme fatales and hypnotic rockstars may come from all walks of the Pop spectrum, but they all exude the same magnetism and unquenchable self-belief needed to shape a better and brighter world. In a time saturated with misinformation and manufactured digital realities, the Kitsch Pop figures in the series strive to find realness and authenticity amongst a sea of fake news. More than just vapid popcorn escapism, Romeo uses humour and Pop culture both to make sense of the absurdity of life under lockdown, and dream of a tomorrow that is constantly in flux. The artist also uses his penchant for pithy observational satire to examine the quirky ways in which people have adapted to the quarantined life, and how this resourceful spirit of the hustle will play out in a world fundamentally changed by the Corona pandemic.
There is an irrepressible thirst for freedom and a desire to break free from the humdrum banality of everyday life that pulses through the works in CHOOSE LIFE. Johnny Romeo draws on these sentiments, experimenting with composition and playing with the pictorial plane to portray Tarantino mobster mavens and Kung Fu masters that threaten to tear through the very fabric of the canvass. Audiences are invited into the electrifying thrill of life as they are thrust into the flurry and fury of martial arts tournaments and the euphoria of the stage. Even when Romeo explores the quiet domesticity of life under lockdown, there is a barely contained energy to the paintings which imbues them with a rebellious edge. By creating works that break the fourth wall, Romeo ingeniously captures the tension and excitement of people bursting out of the indoor monotony of lockdown and embracing freedom in all its life-giving glory.
Music has long played a major influence in Johnny Romeo’s work. In CHOOSE LIFE, Romeo dials up his love for old school hip hop to eleven as he draws on the braggadocio and unapologetic swagger of classic rap to create life-affirming word assemblages that encourage us to take on life’s challenges head on. Punchy fragments of slang and street-hardened rap lyrics are given a healthy injection of Poptimism as Romeo transforms the lingua franca of hip hop into powerful statements of defiance against Corona. The sound of the revolution, however, doesn’t just emanate from the block parties of Brooklyn. Smoldering imprints of rock’n’roll’s blistering fuzz and anti-authoritarian attitude can be found throughout Romeo’s latest series, as he deftly weaves references to classic teenage rebels and slick rockabilly bad boys into his visual declarations of urban uprising.
The Australian King of Pop puts his distinct Kitsch Pop spin on the indomitable spirit and revolutionary zeal of classic hip hop and rock’n’roll to deliver his most anthemic works to date. Playing with the pictorial plane, Romeo’s larger than life paintings invite us to take risks and look at life from dazzling new perspectives. As we all begin to adjust to the new normal, Romeo’s latest series is a powerful statement of intent to dream big, chase freedom and Choose Life.
Opening reception with Artist: Friday 1st April, 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 CHOOSE LIFE is essential.
RSVP to: rsvp@harveygalleries.com.au
Artist Floor Talk: Saturday 2nd April – 2-3pm
Any enquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s CHOOSE LIFE can be made directly through Harvey Galleries (admin@harveygalleries.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 2 9907 0595
Exhibition Dates: 1st April – 12th April 2022.
March 27, 2022