Johan Barrios is an artist I’ve been observing from a distance over the years through the window of Instagram. He is a talent who is past the point of progress and repeatedly pumps out content which continues to enamor his audience. He is a coveted artist in the professional leagues with interviews from Juxtapose, Hi-Fructose, BOOOOOOOM and The Jealous Curator, his prolific work and skill level are highly sought after.
When he began announcing in early October, a solo exhibition at the Anya Tish Gallery titled, Monólogo, I was instantly on board to attend the opening reception, which was held Friday, October 25th from 6-8:30 P.M. Comparatively in Texas, Houston excels in the art world. However, I have never experienced what the city has to offer first hand. Johan’s exhibition was the perfect opportunity for me to take a quick trip to Houston, not only to finally check out the cities art scene for the first time, but to actually see and experience his work for myself.
Not only does Johan possess a mastery skill level when it comes to painting, he also creates his content from his own photographed imagery. Therefore, all of his paintings and drawings were originally and purposely posed for the visual narrative. A majority of his work consist of full body compositions, with postures and poses that express a sense of lethargy. Rather than seeing expression through the faces of the subjects, Johan lets the body language of his figures do all the talking. As for this particular exhibition, Johan displayed a total of nine pieces, which were all self portraits of the artist. The exhibition being titled Monólogo, which translates to Monologue, gives into the theme of a single character, in this case the artist himself, expressing directly to the audience.
I have immense gratitude for having the opportunity to experience one of Johan’s exhibitions for myself. It’s not in my everyday I get to see an artist of this measure. Attending this reception was an exceedingly different experience compared to what I am used to; especially of what is commonly presented in Austin. This curated world is at a higher scale and class which I was slightly intimidated by at first. However, despite my own subjections, I came to realize that art is still for everybody no matter the level and to be able to see his paintings in person sparked admiration in just what people are capable of creating.
Houston has much to offer in the way of the fine art world and Johan Barrios is on the those contributing factors. If you missed the opening reception, Johan will be having an artist talk with Psychologist Rachel Winer, Ph.D. on Saturday, November 23rd at 1 P.M. The closing reception will be held Saturday, November 30th from 6-8:30 P.M. Both events will take place and are hosted by the Anya Tish Gallery.
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