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.
May 6, 2024