JOHN WALKER

HEADLONG TO BEDLAM

solo exhibition

July 13th - August 4th, 2024

Closing Reception: First Friday, August 2nd from 5-9pm

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Arch Enemy Arts presents HEADLONG TO BEDLAM by John Walker, nine new paintings that take viewers on a jocular tumble down the proverbial rabbit hole and into an exquisitely rendered, narrative fantasy. 

 

“My work is really all about storytelling; I invent tales in my mind as I create. Some of those stories are based on current events…if you’ve seen the news lately, you know HEADLONG TO BEDLAM seems a pretty apt description for the way we’re going at the moment…[Some stories are based on] history or a million other things, and some are just ideas out of the blue. I used to do a little write up to go with each painting, but now I prefer to keep things open for the viewer. Let them decide what’s going on. Sometimes their stories are better than mine!”

 

With tremendous precision of light, texture, depth, and detail, Walker depicts a world in which Mother Goose met Lewis Carrol to describe what could be an early 19th century funfair. The titular piece, “Headlong to Bedlam,” is our entrypoint. It is a poster pasted on grimy stone; an advertisement to join in the mayhem. But with elements of the poster exceeding its edges and paper-cut outs distorting our sense of depth, Walker makes it clear–we are already inside of the madness. 

 

John Walker is based outside of Chicago, IL and studied at the College of DuPage and the American Academy of Art in Chicago. He has won numerous awards for his incredible work and has been featured in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Spectrum Art annual, Acrylic Artist magazine and the French contemporary art magazine, Hey!. Walker began exhibiting with Arch Enemy Arts in 2017, appearing in more than a dozen group shows, thus we are ecstatic to present his first solo feature with the gallery. 

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HEADLONG TO BEDLAM will be on view from July 13th - August 4th, 2024
Sold works will begin to ship the week starting August 4th unless other rush arrangements have been made.

Payment plan options are available on most works.

All items marked with a red dot have been sold. 

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