JOHNNY ROMEO - Rich Rider Rise, 2023
Original artwork by Johnny Romeo
Johnny Romeo, Rich Rider Rise, 2023, acrylic and oil on canvas 201cm x 201cm (79 x 79)
Sometimes it just feels good to be bad. In Rich Rider Rise, Johnny Romeo taps into the seductive allure of living dangerously through his rollicking rendition of DC’s finest feline felon, Catwoman. Bursting with energy, Catwoman leaps from the canvas clad in her signature black latex Catsuit
with the kind of lethal elegance that has made her the ultimate vixen in the DC universe. Romeo’s thrilling use of composition draws us directly into the action as he depicts Catwoman in mid-pounce, her outstretched claws threatening to slice through the very fabric of the canvas as if she is jumping off a skyscraper straight into your living room.
Despite being a world-class cat-burglar, even the most seasoned criminals need a trustworthy accomplice to pull off the purrrfect crime. In the painting, Romeo ingeniously teams Gotham’s classic anti-heroine up with a Technicolored crow, highlighting their shared characteristics as shadowy figures with a knack for resourcefulness and a penchant for shiny, expensive objects.
The unlikely flying crime duo, with their vintage comic book look, recalls the delightful camp of William Dozier’s classic 1960’s Batman action-comedy series, a point reinforced with gleeful absurdity when one considers that it is Catwoman who is keeping her crow companion airborne on her back, despite not having wings. Living up to the plucky mischievousness of the title Rich Rider Rise, the crow and Catwoman are two brassy broads riding high on a wave of crime to get the big bucks. With their eyes on the prize, these charming thieves have ‘sized up’ the riches that await them and are unafraid to ‘Rise Up’ and claim what they want by whatever means necessary.
Gallery Curator & Director
McCarthy Gallery
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Acrylic and oil on canvas strictched
201cm x 201cm (79 x 79)
