Johnny Romeo
WANDERING STAR
New Paintings
Even the stars sometimes desire to stray from their orbit and forge their own path. Wandering Star, the triumphant new series and highly anticipated return to New Orleans from internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo, is a kaleidoscopic, Kitsch Pop celebration of the rebel star that resides in all of us. Australia’s King of Pop delivers a pulse-pounding exploration of the human condition as he pushes his vibrant Technicolour visions to their darkest and most unapologetically pastel-Pop extremes. Wandering Star captures the complex duality of our existence, where the line between chaos and order rests on a knife’s edge and the road less taken leads us to re-invention and self-realization.
Taking its name from the spectral 1994 song ‘Wandering Star’ by trip hop band Portishead, the series explores what it means to be a true rebel and forge your own path outside of the regular orbit of everyday life. Throughout Wandering Star, Romeo populates his Technicolour Kitsch Pop world with guitar-toting outlaws, righteously raging bear eco-warriors and superhero apes, outsiders who have chosen to go against the grain of society and the natural order to live truly authentic lives. Much like the ‘Wand’rin Star’ of Lee Marvin’s 1959 smash hit from the ‘Paint Your Wagon’ soundtrack, Romeo’s wayward souls understand that the path less travelled can often be a lonely place, but that true freedom nonetheless lies in staying true to yourself and embracing the journey. Allusions to movement and travel appear recurringly in the series, as Romeo draws on the imagery of vintage motorcycle and aviation helmets and references trains to signify our desire for escapism as we soar through the cosmos of the unknown.
Wandering Star sees Australia’s King of Pop both at his most aggressively rebellious and joyously Poptimistc, as he dives into the duality of the human condition through his distinctive Kitsch Pop lens. Visually, Johnny Romeo delivers some of his darkest and most unsettling paintings to date as he depicts figures driven by anger and sadness and marred by tragedy and madness. At the same time, Romeo undercuts the emotional intensity of the series with candy-coated colours and life-affirming imagery that evokes the hopes and dreams of aspirational animals and rock’n’roll rebels looking to re-invent themselves. From cartoon sailors overcoming traumatic childhoods to mafia mavens experiencing near-fatal overdoses, many of the characters that inhabit the artist’s neon-drenched Pop landscape are flawed, complex figures capable of both goodness and depravity who embody the messy contradictions of human existence. Often trying to escape tragic pasts or overcome their inner demons, Romeo’s wandering stars ultimately remind us that we are all worthy of redemption and capable of radical transformation so long as we take the first step.
While Johnny Romeo’s latest series deals in weighty philosophical issues, he never forgets to inject his paintings with a serious dose of adrenaline-fueled fun. The spirit of rock’n’roll is very much alive in Wandering Star, as the artist portrays glam rock felines and well-coiffed rockabilly skeletons who embrace the rebellious attitude and hedonistic lifestyle of hard rock lifers, sometimes even in death. Bristling with an irrepressible punk rock attitude, the series evokes the bravado and irreverence of trailblazers striving to break with social and political norms to achieve true personal and creative freedom. Tapping into the electrifying thrill of rock’n’roll, Romeo’s motley crew of misfits and outsiders live dangerously on the edge, scouring the heavens for transcendental experiences while dancing perilously with death in pursuit of the ultimate high.
Wandering Star is a bold statement of intent from Australia’s leading Pop artist that calls on us to find our own constellations and march to the beat of our own drum. An incendiary fusion of punk rock grit, Kitsch Pop slickness and hard-hitting humour, Johnny Romeo draws us into a captivating Technicolour galaxy where the brightest stars are those that wander from the beaten path.
Opening reception with Artist: Saturday 6th July, 2024 @ 6:00 – 9:00pm.
Graphite Gallery, 936 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116, United States of America. Ph: +1 (505) 577-7873
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s WANDERING STAR can be made directly through Graphite Gallery (info@graphitenola.com) or by calling the gallery on +1 (505) 577-7873.
Exhibition Dates: 4th July – 20th July 2024.
June 16, 2024