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.
November 24, 2022