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.
March 7, 2023