Jonni Cheatwood: Tyger Tyger

Urban Spree Galerie presents “Tyger Tyger“, the first solo show in Germany of the Los Angeles based visual artist Jonni Cheatwood and only his second in Europe.

The American artist (b. 1986 in Thousand Oaks, California), spent a month at Urban Spree in Berlin as an Artist-in-Residence to create 11 large format artworks that are exhibited in the galerie from July 5th, 2019 to August 4th, 2019.

Jonni Cheatwood incorporates found fabrics into his canvases, which he himself cuts and saws, in order to create variations, a sense of appropriation and move away from the uniform surface of the canvas. Acting as time and identity markers, some fabrics have geometric patterns whereas some others are figurative or overly pop. The Residency enabled Jonni to source local fabrics, found in the Turkish market or in the street. Once the patchwork is assembled, Cheatwood paints blocks and shapes of colors on it, adding multiple layers of paint and agglomerating texture, freely outlining shapes to convey dynamism, movement and balance.

Jonni Cheatwood is an abstract painter whose work is about balance, shape and color and who can be related to the “Figuration narrative” movement. Here, Roy Lichtenstein makes an appearance in most canvases of the series as a reference and a cultural bridge as some fabrics sourced in Berlin include some embroidered stories derived from the American painter.

Jonni’s work is also close to the post-graffiti movement as we can also view his color shapes and black outlines as deconstructed graffiti.

Overall, his work is very dynamic, balanced and superbly colorful, while creating multiple layered & complex identities.

“Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?”

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Latest exhibitions:

2019

Tyger Tyger | Urban Spree | Berlin, Germany

That’s Dallas Baby | Artual Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon

2018

Dressed Up For the Letdown | Over the Influence, Hong Kong

She’s Heavy on the Razzmatazz | MAKASIINI CONTEMPORARY, Turku, Finland

Volta Show, BEERS London, New York NY, USA

Same Hero, New Boots | TW FINE ART, Brisbane, Australia

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Jonni Cheatwood
“Tyger Tyger”

Solo Show at Urban Spree Galerie

Opening: Friday, July 5th, 2019 from 19:00
Exhibition from 05.07 to 04.08
Tu-Su: 12:00 – 19:00

Info and catalogue: [email protected]

https://www.jonnicheatwood.com

https://www.instagram.com/jonni_cheatwood/