Speel Crew - Acrylic & oil on canvas, 2010
You’ll Never Take Me Alive is Johnny Romeo’s new body of work that is being shown in all its hypercolour glory at NG Art Gallery. If you are a fan of pop-culture, Australian icons or masterful use of colour then this is the show for you.
For this show Romeo’s body of work focuses on the man and the myth of Ned Kelly, examining the romanticised notion of an anti-hero versus the real life horror of a cold-blooded killer. He takes apart this well known character, throws in some comic book style drama and aesthetic and gives us a collection that almost reads like a storyboard. Themes of violence, camaraderie, politics and sex are all there.
Horse Bake - detail, acrylic & oil on canvas 2010
The use of block colours, stencil, and oil stick in these works are executed so beautifully that, while there is a haphazard nature to the content in each canvas, the compositions are perfectly balanced.
Johnny Romeo is not one to disappoint his representing galleries. He is a hugely prolific artist. NG Art Gallery was forced to hang his collection of 40 canvases in the gallery, the restaurant, the stairwell and even line up some of the collection on the floor. Impressive.
Diamond Bird Tale - acrylic & oil on canvas, 2010.
A nice crowd gathered for the opening which was formalised by an address from Owen Craven of Artist Profile.
The artist himself (second from left) was there to enjoy the hype and catch up with friends and fans alike. The red dots were multiplying at a healthy rate through the course of the evening.
Thanks NG Art Gallery and Johnny Romeo for a great evening of art. And the wine was good too.
congrats johnny + NG…great time…paintings are stunning and that restaurant downstairs must have the coolest ambience in sydney right now!
cool show, cool space