Johnny Romeo
THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE MOON
New Paintings
Internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo makes his highly anticipated hometown return to Sydney with his exhilarating new series, THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE MOON. Amidst the darkness and collective anxiety that has come to characterize pandemic life in 2020, Romeo’s latest series is an invigorating shot of Technicolour Poptimism that urges us to reclaim the good times, overcome adversity and embrace life to the fullest. Vibrant bursts of colour, slick tongue-in-cheek imagery and witty wordplay all collide into a thrilling collection of paintings that confronts our mortality head on with life-affirming zeal, Pop irreverence and an indomitable sense of hope.
Renowned for his bold graphic style, Romeo’s latest works burst from the canvass with an electrifying energy that embraces the visceral thrill and vibrance of life. The artist’s penchant for fusing eclectic imagery, ranging from high fashion to rock’n’roll iconography and animal symbolism, masterfully captures the larger-than-life vivacity of Pop culture and its ability to collectively transport us to places beyond the banality and adversity of our quarantined existence. Romeo’s use of colour further expresses this point, as he injects his paintings with a captivating Technicolour exuberance that perfectly distills life in all its excitement and grandeur. Swells of punchy, candy-coloured hues explode across each canvass with intoxicating force, drawing the audience into Romeo’s neon-drenched Poptimist visions.
A cheeky play on Pink Floyd’s 1973 space-rock opus ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, the title of Romeo’s latest series is a rambunctious yet impassioned call for hope and positivity in dark and uncertain times. In the age of Corona, Pop culture and art are not just trivial commodities for our consumption and enjoyment, but vital lifelines through which we can tackle the challenges of our everyday reality while dreaming of a better tomorrow.
For Romeo, the promise of escapism and ‘dreaming big’ inherent in Pop culture is a powerful tool for coping and finding meaning in a world turned upside down by the Corona crisis. There is a palpable sense of Poptimism and hopefulness that radiates throughout THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE MOON, whether it be through a depiction of Dorothy and Toto from the Wizard of Oz decked out in space-age helmets finding happiness during a pandemic, or a tiger learning to ride the wave uncertainty and becoming the master of its own destiny. Even when Romeo flirts with the macabre, such as his portrayal of skulls or his allusion to Johnny Cash’s funereal ‘man in black’, there is a triumphant feeling of resilience and a steadfast belief that we can overcome and live life to the fullest.
Humour has long played a vital role in Johnny Romeo’s warped visions of contemporary life and Pop culture. In his latest series, however, humour is more than just a vehicle to skewer and satirise our media-obsessed culture, but an important mechanism through which we can laugh, feel, and make sense of a quarantined world where the Absurd has become the norm. Using his signature mastery of wordplay and knack for pithy cultural commentary, Romeo weaves together gleefully surreal paintings that mash together everything from iconic skateboard brands to intergalactic heroes filtered through the slick tracksuits of vintage New York hip hop. In doing so, the artist’s paintings act as potent reminders to have fun and find a reason to smile even when the world seems to be teetering on the brink of madness.
THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE MOON sees Johnny Romeo push his inimitable Kitsch Pop style to thrilling new heights as he crafts his most slickly bombastic, unapologetically Pop works to date. In a year plagued with fear and uncertainty, Australia’s King of Pop delivers a powerful call to action to never give up on our dreams and our pursuit of the sunny side of the moon, no matter the odds.
Please join us for the Facebook Live Opening: 6:30pm Friday 4th December – https://www.facebook.com/harveygalleriesmosman/live/
Artist Floor Talk: Saturday 5th December – 1-3pm
Harvey Galleries / Mosman 842 Military Road, Mosman 2088 NSW Australia.
Any enquires regarding Johnny Romeo’s THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE MOON can be made directly through Harvey Galleries (service@harveygalleries.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 2 9907 0595
Exhibition Dates: 4th December – 15th December 2020.
December 2, 2020