john isiah walton
racines
May 6 - 29, 2025
FIRST WEDNESDAY OPENING: May 7, FROM 6 - 9PM
ARTICULATE ARTIST TALK: SUNDAY, may 18, AT 4PM.
NORMAL GALLERY HOURS: TUE - SUN, 12PM - 6PM
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John Isiah Walton was born in 1985 in New Orleans, where he currently lives and works. He depicts subjects that are often unconventional and, at times, shocking. Walton works in a reactionary mode. His visual language is influenced by internet aesthetics, black identity, pop culture, and Louisiana history to deliver poignant social commentary reflecting the contemporary world. In the tradition of Basquiat, his work often has hidden meanings and symbols, which are revealed through his neo-expressionist markings. The frenetic, choppy brushwork endows the work with the energy and intensity that the artist is known for.
He uses wit and irony to address the constructs of race and class with both irreverence and sensitivity, merging politically correct discourse with politically incorrect humor. Like the Realist painters of 19th century France, Walton exchanges the idealistic for the real in his work, continuing the avant-garde's ethos of merging art and life. He is concerned with how contemporary life is socially, economically, politically, and culturally, which sometimes leads to portrayals of life's unpleasantries.
Racines a body of work by John Isiah Walton , influenced from the research of Alex Lee & early 20th century black and white photos by Marion Post Wilcott. This body work painting style was influenced by the early Impressionist paintings by Claude Monet. All scenes depicted in these works are from Louisiana rural landscapes.
Walton has exhibited and continues to show in museums, galleries, art fairs, and biennials worldwide. The Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art (Biloxi, MS); Southeastern Louisiana University (Hammond, LA); The Front (New Orleans); P339 (Brooklyn, NY); Atlanta Contemporary Biennial (Atlanta); Barrister's Gallery (New Orleans); Identity Books (Graham, NC). Ogden Museum of Southern Art (New Orleans); Tulane University (New Orleans); New Orleans Museum of Art (New Orleans); Art Lab Akiba (Ginza, Tokyo); Untitled Art Projects (Los Angeles); Home Space (New Orleans), among others.
This exhibition is presented alongside the latest works from Edgar Cano-Lopez, Liz Lessner, and Brandon Surtain. All works from these artists are on view, free of charge, during regular gallery hours (12 - 6 p.m., Tue - Sun) from May 6 - 29, 2024.