SPACE COASTER
Buckle up and hop into the Space Coaster, a vibrant collision of past and future, life and death, tradition and transformation that sees Johnny Romeo deliver a Kitsch Pop meditation on existence rich in surrealist symbolism. Drawing from the visual language of classical vanitas and memento mori paintings, the work centres on a morbid, stylised skull reimagined through a psychedelic, 60s-inspired lens that evokes the kaleidoscopic visions of a fever dream. Perched atop the skull is a spritely robin, a symbol of rebirth, joy, and new beginnings that recurs throughout the series. Romeo explores the power of sacred duality, juxtaposing the grim skull and the lively, hopeful robin standing above it to suggest that even in death we can find a powerful sense of freedom and renewal. Layering the painting with further spiritual overtones, a full moon glows in the background as an omen of abundance and illumination that ushers in the dawn of new ideas. This fascination with celestial bodies is developed in the cosmological title Space Coaster. Masterfully conflating the vastness of the cosmos with the idea of home, Romeo uses the notion of the ‘space coaster’ to mirror our own journey towards enlightenment as we traverse the universe, finding new worlds and new possibilities wherever our space-coaster rests. In stark contrast to the eternal damnation found in religious accounts of the afterlife, Romeo reconfigures the phrase ‘Hell Flair’ into the triumphant word assemblage ‘Rebel Flair’, signalling a shift from darkness to defiant optimism. The painting cleverly veers between ancient iconography and the digital age through its bold geometric composition and the feature of a small love heart in the corner, evocative of a social media ‘like’, which hints at modern expressions of affirmation and connection. Space Coaster invites viewers on a voyage through the cycles of life, from birth to death and the magical possibilities that lay beyond.