Fairs
Meet the campaign artist: Johnny K
In an exclusive interview, campaign artist Johnny K discusses his creative process and breathtaking artwork ahead of the Affordable Art Fair Brisbane.
Victoria Barns
Wednesday 21 February, 2024
To celebrate the much-anticipated launch of Affordable Art Fair Brisbane, we sat down with featured artist Johnny K to find out more about his practice, how the environment influences his paintings and what you can expect to see at the Wentworth Galleries’ stand this May 9 – 12.
Our team first spotted Johnny’s hot pink abstracted landscapes at Affordable Art Fair Sydney in 2022; it was love at first sight (admittedly, we might have a bias for a spot of pink!). Based in rural NSW, Johnny connects to the Australian landscape, and his paintings vividly reflect this connection.
“I want these paintings to excite people about the Australian landscape…”
Johnny K
Featured artwork: Johnny K | ‘A Passioinate Kiss’ | Oil, House Paint & Aerosol on Board | 93 x 93 cm | Wentworth Galleries.
Your landscapes have a remarkable contrast of paint application. The impasto brushwork of the trees juxtaposes the airbrushed earth and skyline. How has painting from life impacted your signature style?
Painting from life has shaped my signature style on many levels. Both consciously and subconsciously there’s a focus on ensuring the compositions have deeper perspectives and lead you into the work. It also continually helps me see subtle variations in colours and tones when it comes to clouds, trees and horizons.
“Painting from life has shaped my signature style on many levels.“
You have previously described riding your bike as a child in Albury and experiencing an “endless horizon line” with light sparkling across the land. Has your practice helped you to maintain your childhood wonder?
I love getting lost on dirt roads and going on long drives to new places. The visual stimulus and sense of freedom it offers are a very important part of my process. I also put time aside to experiment with paint texture, colour combinations and compositions. This creates opportunities for something new to arise, keeping my approach and way of seeing fresh and exciting.
Can you tell us more about your use of a distinctively vibrant colour palette in your practice?
The colours are merely a reflection of how I feel about the experience of being in the landscape. That energy matched with my lust for life go into every painting.
What does a typical day painting look like for you?
I generally wake up before 7:00 am and either go for a long walk or do some form of exercise to help centre my mind and kick-start my endorphins. Some days I’m up early, in my ute and off on a long drive in search of adventure or a new location to paint and explore. If it’s a studio day then I’ll generally commence work anywhere from 10:30 am onwards. Everything I do is designed to ensure I stay in a constant state of flow.
“I’m up early, in my ute and off on a long drive in search of adventure or a new location to paint and explore.“
What has been a memorable moment of your career to date?
I love meeting collectors and hearing their stories around how they connect with the work, but having my artwork featured on Playschool and knowing that it was inspiring young creative minds, was definitely a highlight.
Can you tell us more about the body of work you will be presenting at Affordable Art Fair Brisbane with Wentworth Galleries?
These new works will see a slight evolution in colours, texture and compositions. I want these paintings to excite people about the Australian landscape, energise them, whilst giving them space to breathe and let their imaginations run free.
“…new works will see a slight evolution in colours, texture and compositions.”
Thank you to Johnny for taking the time to sit down with us.
Don’t miss his work at Affordable Art Fair Brisbane from 9 – 12 May at Brisbane Showgrounds Exhibition Building.