From the grunge-ridden disillusionment of Gen X to the savvy self-confidence of today’s Zillenials, people the world over have rallied around the mantra of ‘whatever’ to rise above the pressures of contemporary life. Continue reading
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SKU: H35307
A$8,895
When an assassination attempt was made on Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania early this year, many on the conservative right were quick to praise his bravery. For his supporters, Trump’s bandaged ear and raised fist became a symbol of defiance in the face of imminent death. History shows us, however, that the bandaged ear was iconic long before the likes of Trump. In Hip Hopper, Johnny Romeo pays tribute to the ‘original gangster’ of the bandaged ear, Vincent van Gogh, with a vibrant Technicolour portrait that injects a healthy dose of hip swagger into our traditionally melancholic image of the Dutch Impressionist master. Painted not long after he cut off his right ear following a heated argument with the artist Gauguin, van Gogh’s original 1889 ‘Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear’ captures the mental state of an artist recovering from the throes of mental anguish. Romeo masterfully re-imagines van Gogh as an empowered, street-hardened rapper, retaining the artist’s signature bandaged ear and smoking pipe while fitting him out in a fresh Adidas tracksuit that harkens back to the vintage style of Golden Age hip-hop. As a student of hip hop, Romeo’s ‘B-Boy van Gogh’ has abandoned the bloody violence that led to him severing his ear in pursuit of happiness and freedom, a point made with hopeful candour through the transformation of the word assemblage ‘Pursue Gory into Pursue Glory’. Read in this light, the title Hip Hopper captures van Gogh’s renewed lust for life as he discovers his purpose through his devotion to hip-hop music, and ultimately Pop culture. With his tortured past far behind him, Romeo’s OG van Gogh bravely reminds us that in these tough times the best way to survive is to do what you need to do to be authentic yourself.
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Johnny Romeo is an internationally acclaimed Australian painter. Considered Australia’s leading Pop artist, Romeo is spearheading the global Neo-Expressionist Pop movement with his electrifying collision of rock’n’roll swagger, comic book aesthetics and street art. Described by GQ Magazine Australia as ‘part punk, part pop’, Romeo’s Kitsch Pop works are explosive sugar rushes of Technicolour imagery and urban grittiness that are turning heads worldwide.
Johnny Romeo ‘WHATEVER!’ Exhibition 2024
Johnny Romeo ‘FUTURE DAYS’ Exhibition 2023
Johnny Romeo ‘LANDED!’ Exhibition 2022
Affordable Art Fair Sydney 2022
Johnny Romeo ‘Choose Life’ Seaforth Exhibition 2022
Grand Seaforth Reopening Exhibition 2022
Johnny Romeo ‘The Sunny Side of the Moon’ Mosman Exhibition 2020
Johnny Romeo Pop-Up Exhibition Melbourne 2020
Johnny Romeo ‘To The Extreme’ Mosman Exhibition 2019
Johnny Romeo ‘The Last Days of Disco’ Mosman Exhibition 2018
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Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
124 x 124 cm Framed
A$8,895 Enquiry OnlyAcrylic and Oil on Canvas
124 x 124 cm Framed
A$8,895 Enquiry OnlyAcrylic and Oil on Canvas
124 x 124 cm Framed
A$8,895 Enquiry OnlyAcrylic and Oil on Canvas
124 x 124 cm Framed
A$12,085 Enquiry OnlyHarvey Galleries was founded by the Harvey family in 1994 with an eye to establish a dynamic and inclusive contemporary art space on the North Shore of Sydney. For almost three decades we have expanded our reach to over three gallery locations and an ever expanding stable of the best artists Australia has to offer.
Harvey Galleries acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands upon which our galleries stand. The Guringai people (Seaforth), the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation (Sydney), and the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation (Melbourne).
We pay our respect to Elders past and present.
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